Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) and his US counterpart Antony Blinken spoke for more than an hour at the State Department in Washington on Tuesday. Because there was a lot on the agenda. Russia, Ukraine, Iran, the Western Balkans and what is happening in Turkey. We value each other as strong partners. According to Schallenberg, this role should be consolidated. For too long Europe and the US have taken each other for granted, “standing back to back instead of shoulder to shoulder”.
Blinken praised Austria’s involvement in the Western Balkans, its leading role in the OSCE and its support for Ukraine. “You are neutral without being neutral,” Blinken is said to have said in a one-on-one conversation with Schallenberg.
“Austria offers the strongest humanitarian aid ever”
While Austria is militarily neutral, Schallenberg reaffirmed in this regard, it provides the strongest humanitarian aid of all in relation to its economic performance. This is also recognized and appreciated by the US, he said after the hours-long conversation. According to Schallenberg, the Russian attack on Ukraine on February 24 last year was an eye-opener. 500 kilometers from Austria there was war again. That means working together.
“End of suffering” has not yet come
Blinken also paid tribute to Austria’s role in the Western Balkans and as an international mediator, for example as a host country of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe). The war in Ukraine will drag on well into 2023, Schallenberg predicted. The “end of suffering” has not yet come. In addition, “further levels of escalation” must be taken into account. However, that doesn’t mean the war will spread from Ukraine to the West: “NATO and the US are careful not to get involved.”
But it is legitimate to help defend a country whose sovereignty has been attacked. That doesn’t make you a “war party.” Given the excruciating events in Ukraine, the West has so far shown impressive unity, Schallenberg praised. However, it is always important to maintain a sense of proportion and not “go over the line”.
“Being in a Systematic Dispute”
Even before the meeting, Schallenberg had indicated the importance and consequences of the war in Ukraine: “We are in a systematic debate. How we act determines our reputation.’ If the West allows itself to be divided, it will lose influence in Africa, for example. For example, if the EU fails to take a united stand with the US against Russian aggression and show unity in the short term, the consequences will be felt “not immediately, but in five years’ time”, the minister estimated. of Foreign Affairs. “Then there are others, Russia or China.”
It is also about ideological geo-strategies and setting the course, Schallenberg argued. This also applies to the countries of the Western Balkans, whose integration into the EU Austria has always campaigned for. There, too, players other than the EU would try to exert influence.
US values Austria as a “strong partner”
In addition to the war in Ukraine, the earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria and bilateral issues were also discussed. Both sides emphasized good relations. “In times of crisis, we must and want to stand together,” said Schallenberg. Blinken said the US values Austria as a “strong partner”. Blinken and Schallenberg agreed that those affected by the earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria needed help. As for Syria, the US would give aid and money to the people, but not to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
It is certainly a token of appreciation that an Austrian delegation will be received in Washington shortly before the first anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine on February 24, said the ÖVP minister, who, in addition to Blinken, is also head of the US secret service , Avril Haines, CIA boss William Burns or Middle East and Africa coordinator Brett McGurk.
dependence on Russia
However, experts from the conservative think tank Hudson Institute also explained that there are also concerns in the US. Austria had for years viewed Russia differently from Washington and sought to develop a closer relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This sometimes met with misunderstandings. Austria’s economic dependence on Russia is also under scrutiny in the US.
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.
