Nehammer in Paris:

“Would fly to Putin again if it helps”

Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer accepted President Emmanuel Macron's invitation.

(Bild: Dragan TATIC)

Major Ukraine summit with French President Emmanuel Macron as a nod to Moscow. Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer: "We have always had a firm position, but how can we make it clear to Putin that his strategy is leading Russia down a blind alley?"

Grand French palace ceremony when President Macron invited NATO and EU countries to a strategic exchange on the situation in Ukraine. Austria's Federal Chancellor was invited as one of the four neutrals in the EU alongside Ireland, Malta and Cyprus. Nehammer was also the last of the group to meet Putin for a one-on-one meeting in Moscow. 

The Chancellor brought the experience from this Kremlin meeting into the summit discussions. "The trip was not a friendly visit, even if it puts you in the role of a Putin apologist. Austria has always had a firm position on the conflict, namely that Russia must not succeed, but if it helps, I would fly to Moscow again," said the Chancellor. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin sees his country in a "war against NATO".

(Bild: AFP)

Concerns about "stumbling into a major war"
Nehammer continued: "It is important to make it clear to Putin that his strategy is leading Russia down a dead end. Our common goal must be to stop the killing. This also means that we must gain understanding for our position in the global South, for example in India and the other BRICS states." 

The Chancellor is concerned that Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine could escalate into a major war between East and West - if, for example, NATO weapons are followed by NATO soldiers in Ukraine. "Stumbling into a full-scale war would not bring us any more security," warned Nehammer.

The French President had deliberately invited the NATO and EU states to Paris with the aim of creating a platform beyond the narrower NATO area. Firstly, it should signal Europe's unity and secondly, enable Moscow to approach negotiations, should it ever be prepared to do so. NATO alone is a red rag for the Kremlin. The timing of the Paris summit coincides with the blocking of aid to Ukraine by the US Congress and Sweden's accession to NATO.

France sends few weapons of "high quality"
France had not previously attracted attention for its large-scale arms deliveries to Ukraine. "But our weapons are of a high quality", Paris hastened to add. Austria is supplying humanitarian goods in the medical sector and making financial contributions at EU level.