The Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Switzerland cannot represent Ukraine's interests in Russia, RIA Novosti reports.

The Swiss were indeed interested in our opinion on the possible representation of Ukraine’s interests in Russia and Russia’s in Ukraine. We very clearly answered that Switzerland had unfortunately lost its status of a neutral state and could not act either as an intermediary or a representative," said Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Ivan Nechayev.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation also recalled that Bern had joined illegal Western sanctions against Russia and declared that it "supports the anti-people Nazi regime in Kyiv, participates in an aggressive Russophobic campaign launched by the West and Ukraine."

As previously reported, Switzerland agreed to represent Ukraine in Russia.

Ukraine announced that it was breaking diplomatic ties with Russia on 24 February, the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has recalled Vasyl Pokotylo, temporary charge d'affaires of Ukraine in the Russian Federation, to Kyiv for consultations and has evacuated the Ukrainian embassy in Moscow.

Ukraine maintains consular ties with Russia in accordance with Article 2 of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.