Most recently, the ÖVP and the FPÖ had voted to relax the sanctions, with Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) in particular triggering a debate. He had questioned the sanctions on Friday. You have to rethink this if there are energy shortages in the fall, he says, but later emphasized that he was in favor of the sanctions, but they had to be checked on an ongoing basis.
Tyrol’s ÖVP chairman Anton Mattle, who is currently in the election campaign, was “open” to the push to “check the accuracy of the sanctions”. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl immediately called for a referendum on this. A poll on Sunday showed that about a quarter would support an end to sanctions. Twenty percent are therefore in favor of tightening the sanctions.
“Can’t allow trying to create facts with tanks”
In a statement on Sunday, the State Department attempted a balancing act, stating that the sanctions are “a flexible tool” and can be adjusted at any time. Therefore, the corresponding EU Council decision on the economic sanctions in Brussels is also reviewed every six months. At the same time, the department confirmed the effectiveness of the sanctions. “The sanctions are working – a little more every day. The Russian economy will shrink by at least six percent this year, other forecasts even speak of up to ten percent. For the EU, on the other hand, the EU Commission expects growth of around 2.7 percent .”
“We want a rule-based world order, not the law of the jungle, where the stronger can just get what they want. We cannot and will not allow it when in the 21st century attempts are made to create facts and borders with tanks and missiles Putin expects that we, as pluralistic open democracies, will allow ourselves to be divided, that we don’t have the will to show him red lines. The EU’s greatest strength is unity, which we must maintain,” said the Foreign Ministry.
NEOS: “A few Austrian politicians fell for propaganda”
The foreign policy spokesman for NEOS made a similar statement on Sunday: “If the sanctions against Russia are now being questioned, then a few Austrian politicians have fallen for the propaganda spread by Russia,” said Helmut Brandstätter in a broadcast. “We have to stop playing the Kremlin’s melody,” said Brandstätter. “We must not make the mistake of arguing among ourselves here in Europe. The split is exactly what Putin wants,” said the NEOS MP.
The series of attacks inside Russia and in occupied Crimea on railway tracks, ammunition depots, chemical plants and other infrastructure needed for warfare shows that more and more Russians are realizing that this is wrong and that they are being lied to. “If these democratic forces in Russia report now, then we have to support them. At the same time, the pressure on Putin must be maintained,” Brandstätter said and appealed to the government to bring together all parties that want to stop Putin and want peace in Ukraine to discuss a common approach.
Source: Nachrichten
