#Not in My Name: A Brief Statement on the Ukrainian-Russian Conflict
Austro-Covidian President van der Bellen just intellectually wetted himself. Shame on him, and--he doesn't speak for me
And now this happened: Austro-Covidian president Alexander van der Bellen (Greens), having just begun his second term in office, went on a foreign trip to neighbouring Slovakia. According to state broadcaster ORF, he had a bunch of baloney to say:
Van der Bellen in Bratislava: Moscow is waging a ‘colonial war’
Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen met his Slovak counterpart Zuzana Caputova in Bratislava today. Among other things, they discussed further aid to Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is waging a ‘colonial war against Ukraine’, Van der Bellen said. ‘We are obliged to help.’ Caputova spoke of defending common values as Ukraine’s independence had been attacked [independence as a value, that’s a new one].
The Russian attack had ‘called many things into question’, she said. Caputova would not comment directly on whether the West was already ‘at war with Russia’, as Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban had recently put it. ‘We are on the side of helping when the civilian population is threatened.’ [don’t forget Germany’s Annalena Baerbock, who also said this—give credit where credit is due]
Attack on Ukraine for ‘purely ideological reasons’
Van der Bellen spoke of ‘not wanting to mince words’ in this context. Ukraine had been attacked for ‘purely ideological reasons’, the Federal President said. The motto had been something like ‘submit or we will kill you’, he said. Therefore, he said, Ukraine must be helped to defend itself. [fake history, anyone. Yikes]
‘Especially now, in view of the terrible war in Ukraine and its economic effects also here in Central Europe, it is particularly important to exchange ideas closely with European partners’, Van der Bellen stressed. It is important ‘that we stand together in these challenging times, that we do not allow ourselves to be divided, that we speak with one voice’.
In this respect, Slovakia is an important partner and also geographically the direct link between Austria and Ukraine. ‘We discussed in detail the joint aid measures and the sanctions against Russia. European solidarity has proven its effectiveness, especially in times of war.’
Bottom Lines
I consider myself someone who’s not easily offended—but I do take offence at this disgusting amount of historical amnesia, double-standards, and, yes, moral cowardice.
It’s almost a year now that, in the context of Russia’s military operation, Foreign Minister Schallenberg whitewashed the ‘mass protests’ of Austrians against cheering the annexation of their country to Nazi Germany in March 1938:
As regards double-standards, where were you, Mr. President, when the US-led aggressions commenced against, say, Libya and Syria? May I remind you of your despicable silence as Saudi-Arabia continues to bomb neighbouring Yemen? Shan’t we forget the Azeri aggression against neighbouring Armenia in 2020? The Ukrainian shelling of Russian-speakers in the Donbas since 2014?
Not a peep from you. Shame.
This person doesn’t represent me; yes, I hold Austrian citizenship, but this is disgusting to such a degree that I can’t eat as much as I’d like to vomit.
#notinmyname