Ballet over values? Switzerland's "Swan Lake" diplomacy - Break the Fake - TVP WORLD [View all]

While Ukrainian soldiers and much of Europe continue to resist Russia’s war in defense of their independence, one of Europe’s most famously neutral states has chosen a very different approach.

Switzerland’s Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis arrived in Moscow to meet his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Not with a peace plan, legal demands, or accountability – but with a gift: a music box playing Tchaikovsky.

The gesture was meant as a symbol: a reminder that Russia is supposedly part of Europe’s shared cultural heritage, and that dialogue must go on – even as missiles continue to fly.

In this episode, we examine Switzerland’s “diplomacy of neutrality,” the symbolism behind cultural gestures during wartime, and why attempts to counter tanks with ballet often end up revealing more about European illusions than about Russian intentions.