Situation in Russia – Nehammer convenes a crisis cabinet for Sunday

Nehammer’s office also said the chancellor received hourly situation updates from all available channels. This way you always get an up-to-date picture of the situation. Wagner boss Prigoshin ordered his troops to return to their bases shortly before Moscow on Saturday night. He wanted to avoid bloodshed, according to an audio message from him on Saturday. However, the advance of his mercenaries caused violent unrest in Russia.

Nuclear weapons concern
Nehammer and his EU colleagues had already expressed their concerns in the margins of the “European Forum” in Göttweig: “Nuclear weapons must not fall into the wrong hands,” said the Chancellor. He is in contact with EU colleagues and Western secret services are constantly analyzing the situation in Russia.

Meloni: “Very chaotic situation”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, also in Göttweig, said “we should not be distracted in the EU by supporting Ukraine.” It is a “very chaotic situation in Russia” leading to instability and “Moscow’s propaganda of the last few months.” She already saw “that the propaganda about the compactness and cohesion of the Russian regime is wrong,” Meloni stressed. Immediately after returning to Rome later on Saturday, she scheduled a government meeting with the Italian secret services.

Nehammer emphasized the joint approach with Italy and other EU partners. “What happens in the Russian Federation is always of the utmost strategic importance because Russia has biological, chemical and nuclear weapons.”

“International law violated”
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev also pointed out at the Europe Forum in Göttweig the need to take swift measures to protect the EU Member States because of the events in Russia. “If the security situation in Russia continues to deteriorate, what will happen to thousands of nuclear warheads and chemical weapons in Russia?” Radev expressed concern.

In his closing speech, which was briefly interrupted by a statement by a climate activist, Nehammer criticized Russia’s war against Ukraine. “A superpower with nuclear weapons has flouted international law.”

The EU sanctions against Russia were necessary. “In Austria, no company or bank has questioned our sanctions,” said Nehammer. Although Austria has been a neutral country since 1955, it shows “full solidarity with the world community” and also shows solidarity in the EU. It is also important to “name perpetrators and victims”. For this it is also necessary to counter “war stories of Russia”. “Lies are lies,” Nehammer said.

“Maybe Putin’s Last Days”
Ukraine’s ambassador to Austria, Wassyl Chymynez, told krone.tv that he does not rule out that the world is currently experiencing “Putin’s last days”. For him, the situation in Moscow is “the logical consequence of Putin’s long leadership”, whom he describes as a war criminal who is “far removed from the rule of law”.

EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn spoke of a “fragile, opaque case”. “We must now ensure that Ukraine continues to receive the support it needs.”

SPÖ demanded that the Security Council be convened
SPÖ leader Andreas Babler described the situation on the fringes of the state party conference of the Lower Austrian Social Democrats in St. Pölten as “confusing and extremely dangerous”. The potential consequences for the security of Austria and Europe are unpredictable. “That is why we demand the convening of the National Security Council. The government must give us an assessment of the situation. We must discuss together how Austria should respond to this.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a travel warning
Following the events, the Austrian Foreign Ministry issued a partial travel warning for Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns against all travel to the Russian administrative districts of Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk, Voronezh, Rostov and Krasnodar that border Ukraine. In particular, the city of Rostow and its surroundings should be avoided. Also in Moscow and other cities in Russia “more attention should be paid”.