Austrians' dance with Putin usually ends badly

The statement of Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Schallenberg in defense of Russia reminded of an almost comical incident from the recent past of the Viennese elite. One of his predecessors, rather an extravagant Karin Kneissl, invited Putin to the wedding in August 2018. And he, surprisingly, responded. He came to the God-forsaken town of Hamlitz, where the marriage ceremony of the minister and businessman Wolfgang Meilinger was taking place, to dance with the bride.

Dance had a sad continuation, as the future life of the politician did not work out. In September of last year, she suddenly announced her intention to emigrate to the United States because of the "danger of death." True, the ex-diplomat did not specify the source of the threat, but local observers drew attention to a number of mysterious deaths of Austrian Russians connected to the oil business.

Moreover, the situation with the prevalence of Russian special services in Austria was the subject of a separate investigation by the Financial Times. Journalists came to the sad conclusion that "Austria is a real aircraft carrier of Russian agents". Then the diplomat, who wished to remain anonymous, said frankly: "The country's Ministry of Defense is practically a subdivision of the GRU".

"Austria is a real aircraft carrier of Russian agents."   "The country's Ministry of Defense is practically a subdivision of the GRU."

And now, in the midst of the Russian war against Ukraine, Alexander Schallenberg undertakes to advocate for Moscow, as if he is not aware of the general mood of the international community regarding the prospects for ending the war. He calls "not to go too far, for example, by imposing a ban on visas for 144 million Russians". If this is serious, the citizens should seriously analyze the statement of their Foreign Minister and decide for themselves whether they are ready to accept at least a tenth of the figure voiced by Shallenberg.

With the purely Austrian aplomb of a visionary, Herr Alexander calls to think about the "days, weeks, months after the war", and quite carelessly asserts that the European security architecture "will somehow have to include Russia both as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and as a nuclear power".

"It is possible to predict international protectorate over the ruins of empire, and that - in the best case, if the world has mercy on 144 million, and does not leave them to die in Prigozhin prisons."

Unlike Shallenberg, the majority of politicians think of post-war Europe and especially Russia in other categories. To talk about a country with the de-facto status of "terrorist state" (the matter will definitely come to the legal wording) as a permanent member of the UN Security Council (see the bipartisan resolution of the US Congress, the appeal of Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada, petition of concerned citizens "Remove Russian Federation from the UN"), at least carelessly. After all, just like the nuclear status of defeated Russia. Rather, it is possible to predict the international protectorate over the ruins of the empire, and that - in the best case, if the world has mercy on 144 million, and does not leave them to die in Prigozhin prisons.

"Certain segment of European politicians still hasn't understood irrefutable constant: dancing with Putin is dangerous for health."

But Shallenberg's problem is not in his pro-Russian fantasies. The problem is that a certain segment of European politicians still hasn't understood the irrefutable constant: dancing with Putin is dangerous for health. It doesn't matter what they are caused by: long-standing corrupt connections, "files" with kompromat in the archives of Russian intelligence or FSB, joint business with pro-government Russian bigwigs.

Russia is contagious. So is its leader.

About the author: Ihor Hulyk is a journalist, editor-in-chief of the website "Espreso.West".

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