Russia is surprised by a statement by Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg about “informal channels of communication” with Moscow. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a sarcastic statement on Tuesday that there was “no information about the alleged maintenance of informal communication channels with the Austrian government”.
In an interview with the German newspaper “Welt”, Schallenberg answered in the affirmative whether Austria maintained informal communication channels with the Russian government. This is important. The West must continue to talk to Russia. Russia is “the EU’s largest geographical neighbor and the largest nuclear power in the world”. Moscow is at the table in numerous international organizations and is, for example, an important player in the implementation of global climate and environmental goals.
Schallenberg: “Use the OSCE and the UN”
“We must show a clear lead in prosecuting Russian war crimes in Ukraine and in holding political leaders accountable for war crimes and the crime of aggression,” Schallenberg stressed. “But the West should continue to talk to Russia and use international fora, such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations (UN), to clarify our positions in direct exchanges.”
“Austria has given up its independent role”
According to the Russian state news agency TASS, Zakharova said: “We were surprised to learn that Vienna maintains informal communication channels with the Russian authorities. We know nothing about it.” The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman also noted that there were no issues on which Moscow and Vienna could hold an informal dialogue: “Austria, which has clearly sided with the West in its hostile policy towards Russia, has hitherto independent role in foreign policy abandoned and the principle of neutrality jettisoned.”
“Emotional despair over the need to shake hands”
The spokeswoman also commented on another statement by Schallenberg that if he met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in person, he would “shake hands briefly” due to diplomatic etiquette, but reluctantly. “As for his emotional despair over the need to shake hands with the Russian minister in a hypothetical face-to-face meeting, we want to assure Minister Schallenberg that no one will come and shake his hand,” Zakharova said dryly.
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.
