According to Minister Alexander Schallenberg, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has forced the European Union to take off its “pink glasses” and now Europeans need to learn the “language of strength”.
The large-scale war of the Russian Federation has forced the European Union to unite and strengthen, but European countries still have to master the “language of power”. This was expressed by Alexander Schallenberg, head of Austria’s Ministry of Interesting Affairs, at the Time to Decision European Summit 2023 conference on 16 May.
“Last February 24, when the war returned to Europe, was like an ice bucket thrown in our faces, and this ice bucket took us out of our dreams of a transnational and posthistorical Europe.”
Schallenberg noted that many still dream of returning to their usual comfort and stability, but according to the diplomat, this is impossible. According to the minister, “the old order seems to want to die.”
The head of the Austrian Foreign Ministry also praised the ability of European democracies to adapt to changes in the world, but stressed that “unity alone is not enough”.
“As High Representative Josep Borrell has rightly pointed out time and time again, we must learn the language of power whether we like it or not,” Schallenberg said.
According to the minister, Europeans may be grateful for some things to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who decided to start an all-out war in Ukraine.
“Yes, his brutal attack on Ukraine shocked us. Yes, as I said, he pulled us out of our dreams and back into history. But it also inspired us, forced us to take a fresh look at the world.” The Austrian Foreign Minister concluded without rose-colored glasses and wishful thinking.
Recall that on April 11, the representative of Austria’s conservative party Caroline Edtstadler said that the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin will be guided by international and criminal law of his country.
We also wrote earlier on April 8 that Russia still has the status of “strategic partner” in the Austrian Security Strategy. The text of the document remained unchanged neither after the Russian invasion of Crimea, nor after the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Source: Focus
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