Five events that shaped contemporary Swiss-American relations

The United States and Switzerland have experienced remarkable highs and bruising lows in their post-war relationship. Their disputes, in particular, have tested core Swiss principles such as neutrality. In a speech at an Independence Day party in Zurich in 2023, American ambassador Scott Miller captured the essence of relations between Switzerland and his country. “There is no issue of global importance where our nations are not leading together,” he said, “or where we are not sharing our common values to make things better.” Recent history is full of examples of the two countries collaborating over a shared interest in a stable, rules-based international system. One highlight was Switzerland, a neutral country, rolling out the red carpet for talks between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin amid geopolitical tensions in June 2021. Another high point came when Swiss and American authorities created the Fund for the Afghan People in 2022 to inject some of the ...