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"The end of war is not in sight. Putin showed us two things"


6-7 minutes

  _____  

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg believes that the war in 
Ukraine will not end quickly. 

Source: Tanjug Friday, October 21, 2022 | 08:48 



EPA-EFE MIKHAEL KLIMENTYEV / SPUTNIK / K

Shallenberg, in his address to the foreign policy committee of the Austrian 
Parliament, said that after the new escalation, it became clear that a peaceful 
solution is further than ever. 

He also pointed out that a solution can only be reached at the negotiating 
table, adding that it is dangerous to reject a request for a truce as a 
ridiculous thing. 

Schallenberg advocated for a stronger connection of the Western Balkans to the 
EU. 

"The war in Ukraine hides the risk of destabilizing the situation in the 
Western Balkans"; he said, adding that it is important for Austria to support 
civil society. As for the EU's attitude towards Russia, Shallenberg assessed 
that the key factors in the coming months are unity, moderation and composure. 

According to his words, until now the Western community is very unique, but 
maintaining it, as he stated, will not be easy due to the different interests 
of the EU members. Austria, he says, will continue to fight for that unity, 
because Europe must not neglect the danger of the internationalization of the 
conflict, as demonstrated by the recent use of Iranian drones. 

At the same time, he spoke out against the "automaticity of sanctions", 
opposing the general refusal of visas for citizens of Russia. 

"Austria's goal is not the destruction of Russia, but the re-establishment of 
the territorial integrity of Ukraine," Schallenberg underlined. 

He cited tying the gas supply agreement to sanctions as a serious strategic 
mistake by Vladimir Putin. 

"Thus, Putin showed us two things - he admitted that the sanctions hurt him, 
and secondly that trade and business agreements are worth nothing to him. This 
was not the case even during the Soviet Union," he underlined. 

Schallenberg pointed out that it is a dangerous idea to believe that in the 
event of the lifting of sanctions, Europe will once again become a "paradise of 
peace", as it was before the war. He also assessed that the biggest foreign 
policy challenge in the coming years will be the policy towards China. 

He said that Putin and Xi Jinping want to prove that liberal democracies are 
weak, so it is important to prove them wrong.

 

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