Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) expects large-scale power cuts in the European Union soon, she said in an interview with the German daily newspaper “Welt”. The likelihood of a blackout in parts of the EU in the near future is very high. “The question is not if he will come, but when he will come,” Tanner said. She stressed that the risk of a widespread blackout had increased significantly as a result of the war in Ukraine.
“For Putin, hacker attacks on Western power supplies are a means of hybrid warfare. We should not pretend that this is just theory. We have to prepare for power outages in Austria and in Europe.” Tanner emphasized “that by the fourth day of a blackout at the latest, one-third of the population will no longer be able to care for themselves.” The army therefore wants to build a total of 100 self-sufficient barracks by 2025, which can provide for two weeks of maintenance. In addition, so-called security islands should be created, which can be “points of contact for civilian aid workers and law enforcement officers” in an emergency.
Tanner sees Russia well prepared for war
However, the ÖVP politician does not expect the war in Ukraine to end soon. Russia has huge reserves of equipment and soldiers, she said. “Fortunately, Ukraine has made very important achievements, but it has a huge territory to defend. It is unclear whether this war will ever win.” Tanner called on the international community to focus more on negotiations to resolve the war in Ukraine and to work with Ukraine on this issue. “It is important that there is consultation in the background and that the focus is increasingly on diplomacy again.”
Some EU states believe that only Ukraine, as a sovereign state, should decide when to negotiate and what the purpose of these negotiations should be. “You also see that the West, which has been supporting Ukraine with arms and billions for months, has to figure out together with Kiev when the limit of this war has been reached and when it makes sense to start negotiations in an appropriate format,” said the minister of Defence.
Minister: ‘Energy prices are increasingly perceived as a burden’
This is “a difficult matter”, but the international community should now engage more intensively with the issue, Tanner said. In this context, we should also not forget that the high energy prices resulting from Putin’s relentless war of aggression against Ukraine may increasingly be perceived as a burden by people in the West.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
