Contacts between Switzerland and Ukraine date back to tsarist times. Back then, the area known today as Ukraine was a popular destination for Swiss emigrants, who founded the village of Zurichtal (present-day Solote Pole) on the Crimean Peninsula over 200 years ago. A few years later, winegrowers from the French-speaking part of Switzerland established a Swiss settlement in what is now the town of Shabo in the Odesa region. In the late 19th century, confectioners from Graubünden had some of the best-known patisseries and cafes in Kyiv, Odesa and Kharkiv.
Switzerland recognised Ukraine's independence on 23 December 1991. Almost immediately after, embassies were opened in Bern and Kyiv. In 1993, the Swiss ambassador in Kyiv and the Ukrainian ambassador in Bern were accredited. Switzerland and Ukraine have signed a large number of cooperation agreements in various areas since 1992.
Ukraine, Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (de, fr, it)