If, for example, a NATO aircraft comes into conflict with a Russian one, “that might be the fuse that triggers World War III,” Foreign Minister Schallenberg told Pulse 24.
Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) warned the TV channel “Puls 24” on Wednesday that a “Third World War” would be triggered. The North Atlantic defense alliance NATO is careful not to “be drawn into it under any circumstances” and does nothing that might be seen as a provocation, explained Schallenberg: If, for example, a NATO aircraft came into conflict with a Russian one, “that might be the fuse, which triggers the Third World War”.
Similar to Schallenberg, Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) had previously made a statement. According to the minutes of a conversation with “Puls 24”, the foreign minister explained Austria’s role in the military conflict following Russia’s attack on Ukraine: “There may be military transports over Austrian soil.” However, this would not affect the war in Ukraine “it is from one NATO country to another NATO country”. Everything would be done to protect human life, but it was absolutely necessary to avoid getting involved and thus triggering a world war.
“Veritable Breach of Trust”
“We certainly have an economic war going on,” said the Foreign Minister. There is also an “information war”. But sending soldiers would be something else once more. For neutral Austria, “February 24th was really a turning point” and a “real turning point,” said Schallenberg to “Puls 24”, but also stated: “For us, neutrality never meant that we were value-neutral”, the attack was “unjustifiable by anything”.
The West feels “duped” by Russian President Vladimir Putin, analyzed the foreign minister. Moscow had already taken the decision to attack while international negotiations were still ongoing. “There is a veritable breach of trust.”
The military strategist Walter Feichtinger, on the other hand, expressed the view in the evening journal Wednesday round of ORF radio Ö1 that the war in Ukraine might drag on “for weeks, if not months”. The capital Kyiv is still the main target of the Russian troops. Should the Russians succeed in taking the port cities of Mariupol and also Odessa, this would be a heavy blow for the Ukrainians, because they would then be completely cut off from the sea.
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