The Russian Ambassador in Vienna said that Austria is trying to tie itself to NATO despite its neutrality

Russian Ambassador to Vienna Andrei Grozov said that the Austrian authorities are trying to tie the country to NATO at every opportunity, but the position of the majority of citizens remains the main factor holding the country back from officially joining the alliance.

“Although the issue of joining NATO is not openly discussed here in Austria, the government is trying to tie the country to the alliance at every opportunity,” Grozov said in an interview with Slavist Talita Oreshkovich on the Marsonia News YouTube channel.

The Russian diplomat expressed the hope that the last barrier to Austria's entry into NATO remains the opinion of ordinary citizens who value the neutral status of their country.

“Judging by polls, from 75 to 80% of citizens are in favor of preserving it. This principled position of the Austrian people, I hope, is perhaps the last restraining factor keeping official Vienna from following the example of, say, Sweden and Finland,” the ambassador said.

According to the head of the Russian diplomatic mission, the Austrian government is forced to disguise its actions and publicly declare its commitment to a neutral status.