Krisper/Brandstätter: “The Austrian federal government is causing a huge security risk.”
Vienna (OTS) – “The recent revelations surrounding further suspected espionage cases are further evidence of the federal government’s far too lax handling of Russian spies in Austria,” criticizes NEOS security spokeswoman Stephanie Krisper. “This negligent approach causes global reputational damage and creates a huge security risk. Austria has been a paradise for spies for too long. This needs to end now. It is not enough for Chancellor Nehammer to convene the National Security Council on April 9th. We demand a meeting of the Intelligence Committee as quickly as possible, before the National Security Council, in order to finally be fully informed and able to discuss. The ÖVP and the Greens can no longer afford to give Russian spies a free hand in Austria. It is high time for Austria to take decisive action against Putin’s henchmen,” demands Krisper, who also addressed two parliamentary questions to the Interior Minister and the Foreign Minister. “Extreme caution should have been exercised long ago when issuing visas to Russian citizens. “That’s why we want to know from the Interior Minister and the Foreign Minister what criteria are used to issue residence permits to Russian nationals – especially since the beginning of the war.”
NEOS foreign policy spokesman and EU leading candidate Helmut Brandstätter also calls for actions instead of words. “The Austrian federal government must finally wake up. The number of Russian diplomats in Austria must be reduced to the absolute minimum. After all, around a third of the embassy staff are suspected of actually being spies. The head of the Russian Cultural Institute is spreading propaganda instead of culture and must be expelled immediately. In addition, the cultural institute must finally be closed, as I have requested several times. More than two years have now passed since the attack on Ukraine – and we still have no new security strategy, we are still just as dependent on Russian gas as we were before the war, we are still a haven for Russian spies. The federal government talks a lot, but does far too little. But talking alone is not enough. A warmonger like Putin cannot be stopped with empty announcements,” said Brandstätter.
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