Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has cautioned against isolating Russia in efforts to achieve peace and resolve the Ukraine conflict, emphasizing that all channels of communication should be maintained. The diplomat’s remarks were made in response to criticism from EU officials regarding Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s visit to Russia as part of his Ukraine “peace mission” earlier this month.
Schallenberg explained that severing ties with Russia would not be an effective approach in international politics, stating, “One cannot burn all bridges… Ghosting doesn’t work in foreign policy. I’m a realist and I have to deal with the world as it is, and Russia is part of it.” Switzerland recently hosted a ‘Peace in Ukraine’ summit that excluded Russia from its discussions, focusing on Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s peace plan, which calls for Russia to withdraw from contested territories. However, this proposal has been dismissed by Moscow as unrealistic.
Schallenberg emphasized the importance of utilizing existing channels of communication with Russia in order to facilitate dialogue and progress towards a peaceful resolution. Although Austria is a member of the European Union, it is not part of NATO and last year announced that it would not send weapons to Ukraine, contrary to the trend among other EU nations.
In a recent interview, Schallenberg also claimed that Russia has shown an unwillingness to engage in “serious dialogue,” making it important for countries like India, Brazil, and China to be involved in negotiations because they may have more influence on Moscow than others. During his peace mission, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited both Russia and China, the latter of which has consistently advocated for a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine conflict.
While Russia has repeatedly expressed its openness to dialogue regarding Ukraine, it has also highlighted that any talks would be futile unless Kiev rescinds a law preventing negotiations with the current leadership in Moscow.