MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/. Russia is disappointed that Austria and Switzerland have abandoned neutrality in a misguided attempt to get some short-term benefits where Ukraine is concerned, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"We regret that, literally before our eyes, in recent years such countries as Austria and Switzerland have forgotten the glorious traditions of neutrality in favor of unobvious and misunderstood short-term interests in the context of the Ukrainian crisis. They have thrown away the chance to act as mediators in the search for solutions to the pressing challenges of our time," she said at a news conference.

The diplomat said that on February 2, 2017, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to proclaim December 12 as International Day of Neutrality.

"Russia has great respect for the policy of genuine neutrality," she noted.

Zakharova said neutral nations have a great opportunity to act as mediators in conflict resolution, assist with peacemaking and confidence-building, with the consent of the conflicting sides.

The diplomat noted that the policy of neutrality fully complies with the goals and principles of the UN Charter and implies strengthening the central coordinating role of the UN as opposed to destructive attempts to build some kind of world order based on rules determined by a narrow group of states.

"We are convinced of the serious potential of neutral countries to strengthen multilateralism in world politics," she said.