Swiss vote down neutrality measures

Swiss voters on Sunday decisively rejected stricter neutrality rules that would have prevented the country from sanctioning Russia and curbed its cooperation with NATO, delivering a boost to the alliance’s efforts to counter Moscow. Swiss voters on Sunday decisively rejected stricter neutrality rules that would have prevented the country from sanctioning Russia and curbed its cooperation with NATO, delivering a boost to the alliance’s efforts to counter Moscow. Publicly endorsed by the Kremlin, the far-right-backed constitutional proposal was expected to fail, but the 70-30% result was greater than pollsters predicted — a blow to Russia, which is betting on an EU that is, if not friendlier to Moscow, “ hamstrung by discord,” a Carnegie Endowment expert wrote. In November, Swiss voters will decide whether the country should be allowed to export weapons to allied countries involved in armed conflict, a change that could bolster Swiss ties with other European nations and boost its defense manufacturers.