Austria expects blackouts in parts of the EU in the "near future".
Vienna - "The probability that a blackout will occur in parts of the European Union in the near future is very high. The question is not whether it will come, but when it will come," said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) reports Welt (Tuesday edition). The minister explained that the risk of a widespread power failure had once again increased significantly as a result of the Ukraine war.
"For Putin, hacking attacks on the western power supply is a means of hybrid warfare. We shouldn't pretend that this is just theory. We have to prepare for blackouts in Austria and in Europe. "
Tanner said that by the fourth day of a power outage, a third of citizens would be unable to support themselves. The Austrian Armed Forces therefore want to set up a total of 100 self-sufficient barracks by 2025, which can provide for themselves for two weeks. In addition, there should be so-called security islands, which "can be contact points for civil helpers and law enforcement in an emergency".
The defense minister was skeptical about the outcome of the Ukraine war. Moscow has enormous reserves of material and soldiers, she said. "Fortunately, Ukraine has made very important gains, but it has a huge area to defend. It is unclear whether there will ever be a victor in this war." Tanner called on the international community to focus more on negotiations to resolve the Ukraine war and to work with Ukraine on this issue. "It is important that there are talks going on in the background and that the focus is increasingly put back on diplomacy." According to Tanner, some EU states are of the opinion that Ukraine, as a sovereign state, should alone decide when to negotiate and what the aim of these negotiations should be. "You can also see it that the West, which has been supporting Ukraine for months with weapons and billions, has to find out together with Kyiv when the limit of this war will be reached and when it makes sense, in a suitable way Format to start negotiations," said the minister. That is "a difficult matter", but the international community should now deal more intensively with this question. Tanner: "In this context, we must not forget that the high energy prices, which are a consequence of Putin's brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, could increasingly be perceived as a burden by people in the West."
Source: Der Newsticker
Photo: Bernat Armangue//AP
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