Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has said that “ghosting” is not an effective approach in international relations.
Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has cautioned against ignoring Russia in peace efforts aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict, emphasizing the importance of utilizing all communication channels.
The diplomat’s remarks follow criticism from EU officials regarding Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s visit to Russia earlier this month as part of his Ukraine “peace mission.”
“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,” Schallenberg told Austrian broadcaster ORF on Sunday.
Last month, Switzerland hosted a ‘Peace in Ukraine’ summit that did not include Russia. The event focused on Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s ‘peace plan’ to end the conflict, which requires Russia to withdraw from all territories claimed by Kiev. The plan has been dismissed by Moscow as unrealistic.
Schallenberg added that “channels of communication” with Russia exist and must be used.
Austria is an EU member but is not part of NATO. Similar to Hungary, Vienna declared last year that it would not provide weapons to Ukraine, going against the EU trend. Schallenberg also ruled out sending Austrian military instructors to Ukraine last week.
In March, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer opposed the idea of using funds from frozen Russian assets within the EU to supply weapons to Kiev.
In his Sunday interview, Schallenberg also asserted that Russia has not demonstrated willingness to engage in “serious dialogue,” which he considers a reason to involve nations like India, Brazil, and China in discussions, “because they may have more influence on Moscow than others.”
During his controversial peace mission, Orban also visited China, which has long advocated for a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine conflict. Beijing did not send a delegation to the Switzerland conference in June, despite being invited.
Russia has repeatedly stated its openness to dialogue regarding Ukraine. However, it has pointed out that any discussion about negotiations is futile unless Zelensky revokes a law prohibiting Kiev from engaging with the current leadership in Moscow.