Moscow sharply criticizes Austria
This afternoon, the Russian Foreign Ministry criticized Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (both ÖVP) in a harsh statement that was difficult to imagine before the Ukraine war. In the past few days, Austrian officials have made “unilateral and outrageous statements” about the situation in Ukraine, according to a statement distributed on social networks.
The Chancellor of an “apparently neutral Austria”, Karl Nehammer, reported on February 27 in a television interview and in a press conference on March 1 in “emotional anti-Russian rhetoric” by the Russian leadership that a unilateral war was being unleashed, violating international humanitarian law and even accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, reported the Russian Foreign Ministry.
“Absurd Allegations”
Nehammer also stated that Austria’s neutrality was “forced on” by Soviet communists after the Second World War. In this context, however, the Foreign Office would like to point out that the state treaty with the Allies in 1955 was only possible because of the liberation by the Red Army. “The liberation of the territory of this country (Austria, note) came at a high price – more than 26,000 soldiers died,” it said.
At the same time, Moscow also criticized Foreign Minister Schallenberg, who at the press conference on March 1 had made “absurd accusations” against Russia, including the accusation of having destroyed the pan-European security architecture.
“We firmly condemn such unsubstantiated statements and assessments,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. This would raise serious doubts about the quality of Vienna’s “neutrality”, which has been noticeably declining and eroding in recent times. This will be taken into account in the future, the statement concluded.