How should the world react to the atrocities in Bucha? The EU is already planning further economic sanctions against Russia. After Germany and France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Slovenia, Romania, Estonia and Latvia also expelled Russian diplomats. Austria is still hesitant about this, but Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) wants to reserve the right to take this step.
A total of 350 diplomats from other countries have already been expelled. Lithuania even sent the Russian ambassador back to its own country. Austria also wants to “show a sign of solidarity”, Schallenberg said on Tuesday in “ZiB 2”.
Schallenberg would have liked the EU to act together
He does not want to expel diplomats for the time being, but: “I reserve the right to take this step.” He would have liked the EU to take a joint approach and not “every state would do it alone”.
‘Representatives must be able to continue to work’
In addition, Austria, as the official seat of the United Nations, must also ensure that the representations remain operational. Moreover, one should not run the risk that one’s diplomats will then be expelled from the country and that Austria is underrepresented.
65 Russian diplomats currently accredited in Austria
If it is necessary and demonstrable that a member is not behaving properly, he will also take action. For now, however, Austria wants to “continue to follow its own line,” the foreign minister said. 65 Russian diplomats are currently accredited in Austria.
Nehammer visits Selenskyj
In the coming days, Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) will travel alone to Ukraine and visit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj there. “It’s good that we have a local presence,” Schallenberg says. “We are not at the last sanctions package we drafted,” the foreign minister said.
There will also be more. Still, you have to be realistic: “We don’t want sanctions that fall more heavily on us.”
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.
