NEOS on 'Sky Shield': High time for a clear commitment to the defense union

2023-07-02 14:17:14

Hoyos: “The war in Ukraine has taught us that we can only master the security challenges of the future together as the European Union.”

Vienna (OTS) – NEOS defense spokesman Douglas Hoyos welcomes the fact that the federal government is “slowly waking up from its security policy hibernation” and has decided on Austria’s participation in the airspace defense system ‘European Sky Shield Initiative’. “The fact that the ÖVP and the Greens have finally come to closer European cooperation in airspace surveillance is right and important. The war in Ukraine has taught us that we can only master the security challenges of the future together as the European Union.”

Hoyos emphasizes that a declaration of intent must not remain and that joining ‘Sky Shield’ is not enough to guarantee Austria’s security. “It is high time for a clear commitment to the European Defense Union. The federal government must no longer hide behind flimsy neutrality debates and block advances towards a common security and defense policy. Otherwise you will unnecessarily jeopardize Austria’s security.”

Hoyos is also critical of Foreign Minister Schallenberg, who in today’s ORF press hour again rejected Austrian support for humanitarian demining in Ukraine. “All experts agree that humanitarian demining is not in conflict with neutrality. It is not possible to talk about full solidarity and then to talk about neutrality on this point,” says Hoyos.