"I was wrong"

Van der Bellen explains his U-turn on Putin

Despite Russia's advances in Ukraine in 2014, Putin was often courted in this country; Van der Bellen now unequivocally calls him an "aggressor".

(Bild: APA/Eva Manhart)

Right at the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen had to put up with criticism for his previous stance on Putin. In a major interview, he now reveals how he reversed his political stance - he was simply "mistaken" about the Russian ruler.

In an interview with "Der Spiegel" on Wednesday, the Federal President admitted that he had misjudged Putin. "I admit I was wrong about Putin. I thought he would be satisfied with the inexcusable annexation of Crimea in violation of international law and the land access there. Sorry, complete misjudgment," said Van der Bellen.

Political stance now clear
"Putin is an aggressor," the Federal President stated. The Russian president was living in the 18th century. "There is this anecdote in which the question is asked: 'Do you know anyone Putin still listens to? The answer: 'Of course - Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. In Putin's eyes, Russia must be proverbially great so that he can take himself seriously as a leader," Van der Bellen continued.

Van der Bellen urges the EU states to unite in foreign and security policy.

(Bild: APA/HANS PUNZ)

When asked why Austria had filled Putin's war chest by ten billion euros since 2022 by buying Russian natural gas, the Federal President said that he was aware of the problem. "We are working to change that."

Van der Bellen: "We must learn to defend ourselves"
 In any case, the united Europe is held together by the realization "that 27 global political dwarfs can only defend their interests as a union", Van der Bellen continued. Ironically, Putin himself pointed out to him in Sochi in 2019 "that the EU states together spend five times as much on the military as Russia. And the Americans even spend three times as much as all EU states. He was not far off the mark," stated the Federal President.

Everyone had underestimated the fragmentation of the European arms industry. "The EU is finding it difficult to move away from positions of pure soft power. We must learn to defend ourselves," emphasized the Federal President.

President sees positive trends in Europe
Nevertheless, Van der Bellen warned against overly gloomy forecasts regarding the European Union. "In 2016, some of your colleagues said that I could no longer win against the FPÖ candidate Norbert Hofer, that the first stone would fall, then Emmanuel Macron would lose in France and so on. None of this has happened."

In addition, the elections in Poland and Slovenia were very encouraging, Van der Bellen believes, despite the election victory of a Russia-friendly government in Slovakia and Viktor Orbán's government in Hungary, who describes himself as an opponent of liberal democracy. "I believe that in its hour of need, this united Europe will remember its strengths. If it wants to. That it will secure peace and prosperity for its citizens."

EU not a "loose combination of 27 allotments"
 With regard to Italy, the President of the Swiss Confederation explained that Giorgia Meloni not only thinks transatlantically and is against Putin and the war in Ukraine, but also knows how important Brussels, i.e. the EU, is for Italy. Nevertheless, it is important to be vigilant. He has nothing against a two-speed Europe in principle, said Van der Bellen.

"What I don't want is for the EU to see itself as a loose combination of 27 allotments. Above all, we need a common foreign and defense policy."