Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and its possible global consequences were the subject of the Swiss Economic Forum in Interlaken, Switzerland. The former Austrian chancellor also had there Sebastian Kurz an appearance.
Kurz has the Russian President Wladimir Putin met several times during his tenure as foreign minister and as federal chancellor – and described his impressions.
First of all, he says: Nobody would have seen the escalation in Ukraine coming – not even him. He could never have understood where Russia’s strategic interest in attacking Ukraine could have been, and he still doesn’t understand it to this day.
Was the EU’s approach to Russia wrong? With such “what ifs” he finds it difficult, says Kurz. The question should now be what needs to be done to get out again.
Nehammer “basically does it very well”
So what is being done? Kurz’s successor in office, Karl Nehammer, traveled to Putin and sought talks with him. Would Kurz have done the same, the moderator asks him? Nehammer was his Minister of the Interior, Kurz recalls – he always had a good relationship with him and “fundamentally thinks the way he does it is very good”.
Kurz says of possible scenarios in the future: “The difficulty is that Russia has underestimated Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and there is now no turning back. The good news is: All wars eventually ended with negotiations. In this respect, it is my hope that It doesn’t come to a total escalation. But the residual risk that it gets worse than you thought is always there.”
It has hopes that the Istanbul process could become a sensible dialogue format. But there can never be an “absolutely perfect solution” – the war could end with a “frozen conflict” instead of peace.
Power Play oder Dialog?
He describes his impression of Russia’s President Putin: “Whenever I met him back then, one of the first topics he addressed was that promises had not been kept, that NATO was moving ever further towards Russia.”
Austria and he personally, “as representatives of a small, neutral country with manageable military resources, weren’t the ones who said: now a power play is needed, we’re looking for an argument. We were always of the opinion that dialogue is better Path.” No one will ever be able to answer the question of who is right in the end.
“There’s a lot coming our way”
Kurz looks at the war with concern: In addition to the “endless suffering” in Ukraine, this war could have effects that are not yet in view – for example, a food shortage in Africa. “There’s a lot coming our way,” says Kurz.
In addition, one is currently experiencing that the world is being divided in two – in the west and in the east. In short: “This is actually not the world I want to live in.” In any case, he hopes that the conflict will be overcome and global cooperation can continue.
The issue of neutrality was also raised. According to a survey, 75 percent of Austrians want to stick with it. What does the ex-chancellor think about it? “It’s no longer my decision,” says Kurz – but as a citizen he says: “I feel comfortable living in a neutral country.”
And: “Neutrality doesn’t mean not having an opinion,” emphasizes Kurz. Neutrality gives Austria – and also Switzerland – the opportunity to support sanctions and to express a political opinion.
comeback and failure
The ex-chancellor is asked that he is still in contact with the Klitschko brothers – and asked whether politics still appeals to him, whether he is thinking of a comeback.
Kurz lashes out longer, then says: “I’m very happy where I am now (Note: Global Strategist at Thiel Capital in the US). But of course that doesn’t change the fact that I keep friendships and my interest in the world.”
Another personal question: Does he know what mistakes he made? “I made mistakes every day because you make countless decisions every day,” says Kurz. If you don’t admit that to yourself, you’re not in the right place. “I’ve always tried to do my best and I hope to get at least half of my decisions right.”