Image: (APA/BUNDESHEER/PETER LECHNER)
“Russia started this illegal war of aggression. And it is Russia that must end it,” stressed Schallenberg in a video message published on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.
Van der Bellen said in his own video message, which, according to the presidential office, will also be used on Ukrainian TV, addressed to Ukrainians: “Ukraine belongs to the European family.” Two years ago, Russia began “an unjustified and vile war of aggression.” The Federal President spoke of two years “with immeasurable human losses and suffering.” He praised the “heroic resistance” of Ukrainians. “Your sacrifice must not be in vain.”
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“Deserves lasting peace”
Schallenberg spoke of a “senseless war.” “After two years of fighting, Russia is no closer to victory in this war.” Austria’s support for Ukraine remains “as unshakable as on day one,” Schallenberg continued. Austria supports Ukraine in its fight for freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity. “The citizens of Ukraine deserve a just and lasting peace.”
In his statement on the second anniversary of the start of the war, SPÖ leader Andreas Babler avoided a clear statement of support for the attacked country. In a post on “Ukraine has the right to self-defense. It’s about freedom, democracy and humanity,” said Babler. As a neutral state and UN headquarters, Austria has a special responsibility. “We must provide humanitarian aid and play an active role in the reconstruction of Ukraine. It is important to push diplomatic negotiations and advocate for a comprehensive peace solution that does not reward Russia’s military aggression.”
- Two years of struggle for freedom: To the editorial by OÖN political leader Wolfgang Braun
Kickl: Austria as a place for peace talks
FPÖ federal party chairman club chairman Herbert Kickl criticized the “warmongering of the EU” in view of the hundreds of thousands of victims on both sides. “Instead of putting pressure on right from the start and getting both warring parties to engage in serious negotiations, the EU Commission has forced the escalation spiral even further by supplying more and more weapons,” explained Kickl in a press release. To believe that a war would end quickly with arms deliveries is “outrageous and irresponsible.” A “liberal People’s Chancellor would have long since offered neutral Austria as a place for peace talks and attempted to achieve a ceasefire as a first step towards peace.”
The Green Party’s foreign policy spokeswoman, Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic, emphasized on the anniversary that Ukraine must not be delivered “into the bloody hands of dictator Putin.” “If Russia achieves its war goals, the Ukrainian state and Ukrainian identity would be history,” Ernst-Dziedzic said in a broadcast on Saturday. “Supporting Ukraine is not just a moral imperative, but a security policy obligation,” said Ernst-Dziedzic. She called for broad political will and consensus across society for Austria’s complete exit from Russian gas imports. And she also described it as a “security risk” that the FPÖ never distanced itself from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Source: Nachrichten
