The Swiss government has said that it will order banks to freeze any funds in Switzerland which are found to be linked to ousted Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych.
«[On Wednesday] the government made a decision of general principle to freeze any funds found in Switzerland linked to Mr Yanukovych,» the foreign ministry confirmed to swissinfo.ch in an emailed statement on Thursday.
A regulation on this decision – which will go into force the same day – will be published on Friday, the ministry said.
Earlier on Thursday, Ukraine’s new prime minister Arseny Yatseniuk accused the Yanukovych government of stripping state coffers bare, saying $37 billion (CHF33 billion) of credit it had received had disappeared.
The Swiss statement reminded banks that they should be more cautious in handling Ukraine funds in Switzerland.
The Swiss government made the decision without first receiving a request from the interim government in Kiev, it was reported. It is too early to name a figure in relation to the funds, the foreign ministry said.
In Ukraine, Yatseniuk warned that unpopular measures would be needed to save the economy and that the country urgently needed loans from the International Monetary Fund, which is visiting Kiev next week.
The country’s hryvnia currency is in freefall and there are concerns about the low level of foreign currency reserves.