Kneissl admits: “Putin is the most intelligent gentleman”

“I’m sitting in a 19th-century mansion in St. Petersburg. On the floor next to my chair lies Winston Churchill. He sleeps well… And snores.” What sounds like a bizarre excerpt from a novel actually happened. It is the beginning of an interview with our former Foreign Secretary, published by the British news agency BBC. The proud name of the former British statesman is carried by none other than her beloved boxer. The dog, along with a cat and ponies, accompanied them on their journey to the far north. “Maybe it would be good if you wake him up every now and then,” the former top diplomat told the journalist.

“We had a little diplomatic incident once because he was snoring so much,” Kneissl says. “I had a telephone conversation with my German colleague. [Der ehemalige deutsche Außenminister Heiko, Anm.] Maas was on loudspeaker and Winston Churchill was snoring. We had to wake him up so as not to irritate Berlin. Otherwise they might have thought that Vienna would fall asleep when Berlin called,” the current Russian candidate joked.

However, the BBC journalist was not so easily impressed by the majestic atmosphere. He brazenly asked whether there was a danger that she would set an example with her highly controversial move to Russia – namely that she was justifying the bloody war of aggression against Ukraine and political repression in her new homeland. However, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs does not want to know anything about it: ‘So far I have not experienced any repression in my immediate environment.’ On the contrary, she can work here with an academic freedom that she sorely missed in Europe when she worked at various universities.

Grateful that I can work in Russia
Just a few days ago, a young woman, Sascha Skotschilenko, was sentenced to seven years in prison in St. Petersburg. She had posted the prices of goods in a supermarket with her own anti-war stickers on them. It is just one case in the massive wave of repression currently sweeping the country. Kneissl, however, wanted nothing to do with it. “What do I have to do with this?” she asked the journalist. She would rather look at things in a different way: why wasn’t she allowed to work? Where is their crime? She is very grateful to be able to work in Russia again.

In the past, Kneissl has repeatedly described herself as a “political refugee” and accused Austria of a witch hunt against her. Constant death threats and a de facto work ban forced her to turn her back on her homeland. She moved first to France, then to Lebanon and finally to Russia. There she now heads the think tank ‘Gorky Center’.

The famous wedding dance with Putin
During the conversation, the BBC journalist couldn’t resist asking her about her wedding dance with Putin. “This is so boring,” she said. “That was all almost six years ago. I was foreign minister at the time and danced with President Putin.” However, she did many more things in her life. When asked if she regretted inviting the Kremlin ruler to her party, she simply repeated: “It’s boring. And the dog just fell asleep and is snoring because he already knows the subject.

The ex-politician was much more approachable when asked about the enormous sanctions the West had imposed on Russia. According to Kneissl, many people now realize that the punitive measures have not produced the desired results. She is also concerned about the way the EU leadership has behaved over the past eighteen months. It is not right to call for regime change in Russia. “How should Russia negotiate with people who want to bring about its destruction?” the ex-diplomat criticized.

Putin’s face adorns her room
The state room where the conversation took place is decorated with photographs. There is also a photo showing Kneissl with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. However, one photo with Putin stands out in particular. The BBC journalist asked what kind of person the Russian leader was. The now 58-year-old was extremely open: “He is the most intelligent gentleman… Emphasis on gentleman – and I have only met a few so far.”

The BBC journalist did not want to leave the words uncommented and referred to the heavy reprisals in Russia and the brutal attack on Ukraine: “It is difficult to classify these as the actions of a gentleman.” But there are many more politicians involved. were involved in military activities, the ex-diplomat said. Such as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair or current Foreign Secretary David Cameron.

Will there be a return to Austria?
So Kneissl is actually building a new life for himself in Russia. Will she ever return to the Alpine Republic? “There are voices in Austria calling for my citizenship to be revoked because I am now working at a university in Russia,” she told British television. She is reportedly accused of corruption, treason and having worked for the Russian secret service KGB for thirty years. “All this filth and slander has ruined my life,” she said. Before she could return to Vienna, many things would have to be clarified and her name would have to be cleared once again. There are people who accuse her of being a Russian spy. The ex-minister cannot understand this. “No, not even in the slightest… It’s just a dirty fantasy,” Kneissl dismissed the accusations.