Sager on the "red line"

Tanner plays into the hands of Putin’s propaganda

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

Austrian Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) has caused irritation with her latest statements on the war in Ukraine. Not only did she contradict herself, but one of her statements is also a feast for Russian propaganda media.

The decision by NATO countries France, the USA and Germany to allow Ukraine to use their weapons on military targets in the Russian border region has been hotly debated in recent days. Tanner was also asked about this in an interview with the "Presse". "This crossed a red line", explained the ÖVP minister in response.

Attacks on Russia legally permitted
The "red line" that is said to have been crossed was drawn by the Russian regime, which has repeatedly threatened consequences for the use of Western weapons - up to and including the nuclear option. Under international law, however, it is perfectly legal for Ukraine to attack Russian positions, ammunition depots, air bases or even the Ministry of Defense in Moscow. This is because the entire Russian territory has been legally considered a war zone since the invasion of Ukraine.

Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner has come in for a lot of criticism.(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

Ukraine has often attacked military targets deep inside Russia with its own weapons. Until recently, there was a reluctance to use military equipment supplied from the West, as the fear of escalation was too great there - and Kiev naturally does not want to alienate its allies.

"It's not our place to judge"
The authorization to fire Western weapons across the border has now been given because massive attacks on the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv are being carried out from there. When asked about this by the "Presse", the Defense Minister said: "As a militarily neutral state, it is not our place to judge". Tanner thus contradicted her own words on the "red line".

In a Puls24 interview, she later clarified that this statement was her "personal opinion". After such a long period of war, peace must be the goal and de-escalation is the order of the day, Tanner said (see video below).

State media exploit the saga
Russian state media don't care whether the politician was speaking as a private individual or as Austria's defense minister. Her statement played into the hands of their propaganda that the escalation was caused by NATO - and was therefore exploited with relish: "Sputnik" and "RT" reported that the minister had criticized the West, and numerous pro-Russian social media accounts also disseminated it. Conversely, Tanner was rebuked internationally - particularly in Ukraine - for her words. 

Ministry emphasizes support for Ukraine
In the evening, the Ministry of Defense responded to the reports from Russian media. "What is currently happening is an obvious example of political propaganda. Individual statements are being taken out of context and used for personal gain," explained a spokesperson by email. At the same time, she emphasized that Austria is clearly behind Ukraine and is supporting it in many ways - "but financially and in humanitarian terms". In the meantime, over 230 million euros in state aid have been provided to the attacked country.