Austrian Territory Secretly Used For Transit Of Weapons To Kiev - Russian Ambassador - UrduPoint

The territory of Austria is secretly used for the transit of weapons to Kyiv, it is not clear how this and other steps correlate with the neutral status of the republic, Russian Ambassador to Vienna Dmitry Lyubinsky said in an interview with Sputnik.

"It is unclear, for example, how this principle (of neutrality) correlates with the financial assistance allocated by Vienna to Ukraine, related to the supply of military ammunition and protective equipment, tacit consent to all new EU tranches for the needs of the Kyiv military, support for the so-called 'EU military training mission.

' From the lips of individual Austrian politicians, there are even calls for direct deliveries of lethal weapons to Ukraine. The territory of Austria is quietly used for the transit of weapons for the Kiev regime. But we receive frequent appeals and videos about this from anxious citizens," the diplomat said.

He added that with the start of the special operation in Ukraine, Moscow was "forced to state with regret the demonstrative departure of Austria's political leadership from the interpretation of the neutral status that has been established in international practice toward its exclusively military dimension."

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 The erosion of Austria's neutrality is evident, this will have consequences for relations with Moscow, Russian Ambassador to Vienna Dmitry Lyubinsky said in an interview with Sputnik.

"The erosion of this fundamental principle for Austrian statehood is becoming more and more evident. By the way, not all political forces within the country agree with this. This, for example, was confirmed during the recent election campaign for the election of the head of state. Despite the exhortations of the coalition cabinet of Karl Nehammer of the inviolability of neutrality and adherence to it, the facts show the opposite. Austria has fully joined the unprecedented voluntarist sanctions against our country," the ambassador said.

As an example of incomplete adherence to the principle of neutrality, Lyubinsky also cited "the unjustified expulsion of four Russian diplomats."

Separately, he mentioned the "militant rhetoric" of official Vienna, in particular, "openly Russophobic statements about Russia that have nothing to do with the traditions of "good services."

"However, such a course of Vienna cannot pass without consequences for our bilateral relations. In a number of ways, they are already tending to a freezing point, contrary to all the good traditions of a constructive Russian-Austrian political dialogue. And this, I will add, cannot but affect our attitude toward the role of Vienna as a neutral negotiating platform. I hope that the political leadership of the country here has a fairly clear understanding on this matter," the diplomat emphasized.

Austria became a neutral country on October 26, 1955, and for more than half a century has been building its foreign policy taking into account its special international status of permanent neutrality. Today, the country is widely celebrating the 67th anniversary of this event; October 26 is considered a national holiday in Austria.