Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen Krieg hopes for a ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine and negotiations. However, he admits that there will probably not be a clear calm in Ukraine any time soon. But he is confident that “we will get this conflict under control”. He does not dare to name a time frame for this, said Van der Bellen on ORF on Thursday.
In the interview, the Federal President emphasized how important it was for the European countries to be organized within the EU. If the EU didn’t exist, “unparalleled chaos would reign”. Russian President Vladimir Putin has achieved something that the Union has not been able to achieve for a long time: quick and decisive action. “This is an unintended consequence of the war.” The same can be said of NATO, which French President Emmanuel Macron recently described as “brain dead”. That is no longer the case, says Van der Bellen.
Van der Bellen said that a general attack on Ukraine by Putin “was unimaginable for him and neither for anyone else”. “I cannot imagine that the Russian people stand by this war.” This would not only destroy lives and the country, but also trust between the West and Russia. “It will take a long time to restore that trust.”
From his point of view, the most important thing now would be to stop the war, agree on a ceasefire and start negotiations. “Both sides must be aware that any further escalation must be avoided.” Direct intervention by NATO represents an incalculable risk, Van der Bellen warned.
As Commander-in-Chief of the Austrian Armed Forces, he welcomed the fact that the army should now receive more money. He would have wished for that a long time ago. Van der Bellen refused to give up Austrian neutrality. “We have had good experiences with neutrality.”
