sound mountain had expressed skepticism about full EU membership for Ukraine at the weekend. Specifically, he advocates ffor an “offer of the closest possible connection” between Ukraine and the EU instead of full accession. The Russian and Ukrainian media interpreted this as Vienna’s categorical no to Ukraine joining the EU, and there was also clear criticism from Kyiv. “We consider these statements to be strategically short-sighted and they do not correspond to the interests of a united Europe,” said Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko.
“I don’t know what’s going on with Schalli”
The Greens oppose Foreign Minister Schallenberg. “Our goal must be for Ukraine to become a full member,” said the foreign policy spokeswoman for the Greens, Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic, in a broadcast on Monday. He emphasized that the ball is currently with the EU Commission in this regard.
Also in the environment of EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn are likely Schallenbergs statements caused a lack of understanding. “I don’t know what’s going on with Schalli lately, very unfortunate statements, also on neutrality …” it said on Sunday in a tweet distributed via Hahn’s account using the “at a loss” emoji. When asked by the ORF, it was then said that an employee of Hahn had sent the tweet, which has since been deleted.
On the other hand, the FPÖ called on Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) to veto a vote on Ukraine’s candidate status. Nehammer should issue a corresponding “guarantee declaration”, wrote FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl in a broadcast on Monday. “The federal government must under no circumstances jump on the train of EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and quickly approve Ukraine’s EU accession,” said Kickl. The head of the party, which is considered pro-Russian, warned that such a step would be “completely negligent” and would “endanger Austria’s security enormously” because it would import the Ukraine war into the EU.
Schallenberg surprised
Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) is “surprised” at the “broad echo” that was triggered by his statements about Ukraine’s possible accession to the EU. Because he “basically said nothing new,” said the foreign minister on Monday during a visit to Jordan. He made it clear that “Ukraine is part of Europe,” said Schallenberg. But he had already discussed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to Ukraine in February that “I’m not sure whether full membership in the European Union is the only way”.
As Austrian Foreign Minister, it is important to him that the Western Balkans region, which has been waiting for the EU for years, is not forgotten, he emphasized again. He stays with that. “We have to be very careful about the signals we send out and, secondly, we have to be very careful about the expectations we create,” warned Schallenberg.
The Eastern Partnership could “no longer exist because one state was brutally attacked by a third country, another has more or less given up its sovereignty – namely Belarus”. Apart from full EU membership, there are “all kinds of third countries that have close ties to the European Union,” said Schallenberg, referring to Switzerland, Great Britain, Norway and Iceland. “I think we still have some room for discussion here,” he said. “We’ve always said that there shouldn’t be any shortcuts – that is, a fast track” – but that EU accession is a process that has its stages.
Source: Nachrichten
