Austria Will Join the European "Sky Shield" Despite its Neutrality

The Austrian government has decided to join the European initiative to strengthen airspace protection, Sky Shield, launched by Germany against the backdrop of the Russian war in Ukraine.  

This was reported by Euractiv, citing Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

"The threat situation has significantly increased due to Russia's aggression against Ukraine. That is why Austria will join the European air defence initiative "Sky Shield", - said Nehammer.

Negotiations on Austria's accession are currently in the final stages of approval. Once finalised, Austria will become the first non-NATO country to join the European initiative.

The country's accession to the "Sky Shield" initiative has already drawn criticism from opposition political forces in Austria, which called the decision "destructive" for the country's neutrality policy.

Instead, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the Sky Shield does not imply joining a military alliance, but is merely a cooperation of several friendly countries, which is fully consistent with Austria's neutrality status.

"The Sky Shield initiative was launched last autumn and aims to develop a common air defence system for the participating countries "using interoperable, off-the-shelf solutions". This approach offers partners a "flexible and scalable way" to enhance their defence capabilities.

"This commitment is even more important today, as we witness Russia's ruthless and indiscriminate missile attacks in Ukraine, which have killed civilians and destroyed critical infrastructure. In this context, I strongly welcome Germany's leadership in launching the European initiative "Sky Shield"," commented NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană.

Initially, the initiative was supported by 14 NATO Allies. Subsequently, in February this year, Finland, Sweden and Denmark joined the Sky Shield. This makes Austria the 18th country to join the community.

The war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine in February 2022 has become the largest armed conflict on the European continent since World War II, forcing partners to develop updated defence strategies amid new threats from the Russian Federation.

For example, Germany recently hosted NATO's largest air force exercise in history, during which the Alliance's air forces practised pre-designed training scenarios. All in all, about 250 aircraft and 10,000 military personnel from different member states of the North Atlantic bloc took part in the exercise.