Reports of possible attempts to recruit soldiers by the Ukrainian embassy in Vienna for the war against Russia have caused a stir in Austrian domestic politics. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) has now confirmed that these calls were actually made on Facebook. “After my intervention with the ambassador, the calls were removed,” Schallenberg assured.
The cause was set in motion by public descriptions of a German mercenary, according to which he had also met Austrians at a military training center. Austria is neutral, “any military service to another country leads to loss of citizenship”, FPÖ MP Christian Hafenecker criticized the mercenary’s statements in mid-March. His party put a parliamentary question to Schallenberg.
Schallenberg answered FPÖ questions
The answer has been available in writing on Parliament’s website since the weekend. “My department learned in early March that the Facebook page of the Ukrainian embassy in Vienna was calling on foreign citizens to participate in the military defense of Ukraine,” Schallenberg said. He then gave instructions to immediately inform the Ukrainian ambassador that these calls were against the Austrian legal system and should be removed.
“It was made clear to the Ukrainian ambassador that the formation of a volunteer corps and the operation of an advertising agency are prohibited under the Austrian penal code and that the Ukrainian embassy must abide by the laws of the host country. After this conversation, the relevant calls were removed from the embassy’s Facebook page,” Schallenberg said.
No information on the number of Austrians in the war in Ukraine
He cannot say how many Austrians have been recruited for the war in Ukraine. Can the embassy be prosecuted for the recruitment attempts? Schallenberg: “It should be noted that because of their privilege and immunity status, the embassy employees do not fall under national criminal jurisdiction.”
Although the Ukrainian embassy in Vienna is no longer actively recruiting soldiers, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ recruitment site is still online. Schallenberg: “My department has no influence on the content of other websites, such as those of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Source: Krone
I’m an experienced news author and editor based in New York City. I specialize in covering healthcare news stories for Today Times Live, helping to keep readers informed on the latest developments related to the industry. I have a deep understanding of medical topics, including emerging treatments and drugs, the changing laws that regulate healthcare providers, and other matters that affect public health.
