The West and NATO: no concepts, no exchange, no peace
Innsbruck (OTS) – Austria’s neutrality must be the top and unequivocal priority in the government. It is the most effective protection for the population against the threat of involvement in war on European soil.
“Unfortunately, our government is setting the wrong priorities: Our country is a member of the “Partnership for Peace” and takes part in the “Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC)”. Both are agreements with NATO. In 2025, Austria wants to take the lead in the “EU crisis reaction forces”, which also plan for combat missions outside (!) the EU. At the beginning of May 2024 it became known that the four neutral countries Switzerland, Austria, Malta and Ireland had written a letter to the NATO military alliance asking for closer involvement. The rapprochement with NATO means that Austria is rightly becoming an enemy state in the eyes of the Russians. In the event of a war, we will become a combat zone,” says DI. Daniel Jenny, chairman of the “Alliance of Neutral Free Austria” (NFÖ) is extremely concerned.
Austrian neutrality, as it was decided in 1955 and to which we owe our freedom, our independence and also our peace, is vital for our country and our population, understood literally! Instead of preserving it, it weakens it. In May 2024, Austrian Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner signed the second of three signatures to participate in the NATO project “European Sky Shield Initiative” (ESSI). It promises the population that our airspace will be protected.
“The “Sky Shield” medium-range missiles have ranges of up to 2,400 km and are integrated into NATO structures. Their installation means escalation instead of pacification. Let’s remember that the USA reserves itself for preventive operations, ie attacks on suspicion, and a nuclear first strike. In this respect, expensive long-range missiles cannot be a defensive weapon for a neutral state. We don’t want to become a target for potential opponents. Back to the peace instrument of neutrality!” said DI. Jenny continues.
There would be a peaceful path: so that a neutral small state can assert itself, Austria has a federal army. The previously proven space defense concept should be adapted to the current situation and the legal obligation to the concept of “comprehensive national defense” (ULV) should be implemented quickly and seriously. Since the urgently needed financial resources for this area of responsibility had been withdrawn for years, we were given a clear message in August 2017: Protecting the population by the armed forces and comprehensively securing the critical infrastructure are no longer possible today.
Inge Rauscher, chairwoman of the “Homeland and Environment Initiative” (IHU), adds: “We suggest that Austria concentrate on the above-mentioned own defense tasks as a neutral state instead of moving closer to NATO and procuring Sky Shield missiles. Since 1990, this military alliance, which operates worldwide (!), has only served to enforce the economic interests of the USA militarily, often in the form of attacks and bombings on so-called “rogue states” that violate international law in order to achieve regime change.
Who should be our enemy?
The conventional wisdom in the West is that Russia started the war because its president is essentially an expansionist and is interested in creating a Greater Russia, meaning he is determined to conquer all of Ukraine and other countries in Eastern Europe . We, on the other hand, think that Russia has no imperial ambitions. It is not about the creation of a Greater Russia, but rather Russia has viewed NATO expansion in Ukraine as an existential threat and is determined to prevent this threat.
How does a neutral country behave?
The NATO approach and Sky Shield do not fit the obligations of a neutral country. The three duties of perpetual neutrality are as follows:
• Obligation to abstinence: Austria should not take one-sided sides in the Ukraine or Gaza conflict, but rather offer all parties to the conflict a neutral place for talks.
• Duty of equal treatment: If one party is allowed something, the other party is also allowed to do so. If the Ukrainian president speaks in the Austrian parliament, the Russian president can also speak. The economic sanctions against Russia should be ended immediately. See citizens’ initiative “Stop the sanctions against Russia – immediately!” https://nfoe.at/2022/09/30/parlamentarische-buergerinitiative/
• No making Austrian territory available to belligerents: Since the 1990s, Austria has allowed NATO to transport materials through and fly over our territory. These permits must be withdrawn. We don’t need to deploy Sky Shield missiles. Support the referendum “Stop Sky Shield” https://www.mfg-oe.at/stoppt-sky-shield/
“That’s what we have the armed forces for, and that’s the only reason why we have it. Is it that difficult? We believe that the security of a state decreases in an alliance because one can no longer decide for oneself about war and peace. Alliances like NATO always want to get bigger. They are committed to power, not peace. It is high time we honor our neutrality commitments. Peacemakers are in demand!” says DI. Jenny concluded.
The text is supported by the following individuals and movements:
•Dr. Rudolf Gehring, “Christian Party of Austria” (CPÖ), https://christlichepartei.at • Ing. Robert Glaubauf, Vienna regional spokesman for the “People Freedom Fundamental Rights” party (MFG), www.mfg-oe.at
• DI. Daniel Jenny, chairman of the Alliance for Neutral Free Austria (NFÖ), www.nfoe.at
•Dr. Franz-Joseph Plank, chairman of “Animal Spirit”, www.animal-spirit.at
• Inge Rauscher, chairwoman of the “Homeland & Environment Initiative” (IHU), www.heimat-und-umwelt.at
• Univ.Prof. DI. Dr. Heinrich Wohlmeyer; He was a member of the scientific advisory board of the Federal Ministry of Defense and is the author of the book “Outrage in Europe” and the “Manifesto on the indispensable cornerstones of a globally sustainable society”.
Questions & Contact:
DI. Daniel Jenny, chairman of the Alliance for Neutral Free Austria (NFÖ):
0699/144 303 47, djenny@nfoe.at, www.nfoe.at