Europe must plan for a post-Putin Russia, Austria's Chancellor Stocker tells Euronews

The European Union should support sanctions connected Russia and must diversify its power supplies because Moscow is utilizing power for blackmail, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker told Euronews successful an exclusive interview.

In a chat astatine nan margins of nan EPP Congress successful Valencia, Stocker, who leads a three-party coalition, said nan EU needs to differentiate betwixt Russia and Putin and hole for nan early pinch President Vladimir Putin nary longer successful power.  

"Russia is not conscionable Putin," Stocker said. "Dealing pinch Putin is highly difficult, but Russia will still beryllium location erstwhile he’s nary longer successful power. For now, we spot Russia arsenic a threat — Austria included — owed to its destabilising actions and disinformation campaigns targeting Western democracies. Right now, Russia is not a partner. But that won’t ever beryllium nan lawsuit — leaders don’t enactment successful powerfulness forever."

Stocker added it's excessively soon to talk astir relaxing economical sanctions connected Russia, arsenic a imaginable ceasefire successful Ukraine is astatine coming retired of sight. He thinks immoderate bid woody must respect Ukraine's terms.

"That’s not thing I spot astatine nan moment, though I would invited it," he said of a truce. "But immoderate ceasefire aliases bid statement must not beryllium imposed. Ukraine must specify nan position nether which bid tin beryllium achieved. From what I tin see, Putin has nary liking successful that correct now. If a bid statement comes, nan EU will determine its position then. Until that happens, nan sanctions must stay successful place."

The chancellor besides highlighted nan request to further trim nan EU's power dependence connected Russia. The European Commission is considering plans to divorcement Europe from Russian power imports completely.

"We’ve learned nan difficult measurement that it’s not wise to beryllium truthful limited connected a azygous supplier, particularly erstwhile power becomes a instrumentality of blackmail," he said. "That’s why we’re diversifying our power sources and becoming independent from Russian gas. The cardinal rumor is dependency, and it’s clear now that this dependency was neither a bully argumentation nor a sustainable solution. We are ending it."

Neutral but rearming

Stocker besides said he supports caller plans to rearm Europe arsenic nan information guarantees of nan post-Cold War era slice away.

"For a agelong time, we were nether nan illusion that warfare was a point of nan past successful Europe," he told Euronews. "I was calved successful 1960, aft nan war. The ruins were being rebuilt, and I grew up believing that warfare would ne'er return to Europe. We designed our defence systems astir that belief. But now we spot that was a misconception. So we must redesign our defence — better, and pinch much responsibility.

Austria is participating successful nan EU's associated defence procurement programme.

"We are militarily neutral, but that doesn’t mean we won’t put successful our defence," Stocker said. "On nan contrary, we’re doubling our defence spending to 2% of GDP. We've already importantly accrued nan fund successful caller years. So we are investing successful our defence wrong nan model of our neutrality. "

But dissimilar Sweden aliases Finland, Austria is not considering joining NATO.

"NATO rank is not up for chat successful Austria, some because of our neutrality and because we purpose to negociate our defence spending efficiently," Stocker said.

"For example, nan Sky Shield procurement level isn’t an EU initiative; it’s a European one, including Switzerland. It lets america bargain systems cost-effectively and ensures they’re compatible, while keeping bid and deployment decisions wholly successful Austrian hands."

Migrants without authorities should leave

Talking astir migration, Chancellor Stocker said nan EU's Migration Pact was a large measurement successful nan correct direction, but he added Brussels needs to return action now.

"We’re not adopting a Trump-style 'build nan wall' approach, but we do request a strong, unafraid outer border, 1 that’s decently monitored, wherever asylum procedures hap correct astatine nan border. That’s 1 cardinal element. The 2nd is having safe 3rd countries wherever group tin beryllium returned."

The chancellor added that 100% of those migrants without nan correct to enactment successful Europe should leave.

"We do want group who person nary ineligible correct to enactment successful Austria aliases Europe to leave. If only 20% of those without a residence licence are really returning, arsenic we've heard, that’s simply not enough. It should beryllium 100%. Even if we can’t scope that completely, it must stay our goal."