Austrian Defense Minister Claudia Tanner has so far shown no readiness to send soldiers from the federal army to Ukraine to guarantee a possible ceasefire. So far, she has not given any instructions on preparing the army for such a scenario, the daily "Presse" reports, BTA reports.
Tanner explained that it is "too early" to make decisions, but noted that Austria could be chosen to host a peacekeeping mission, since Russia rejects the participation of soldiers from NATO member states.
“As long as there is no peace in Ukraine, peace cannot be guaranteed,“ the minister told “Press“. She added: “We are closely following current events, but it is too early to talk about possible future scenarios.“
According to the publication, the Chancellery and the Ministry of Defense specify that participation in such a mission requires a mandate from the European Union or the United Nations, as well as approval by parliament. It is not yet possible to give an exact answer to how many soldiers from the federal army could participate, since the sending of personnel for missions abroad is entirely voluntary.