Austria’s Policy of Neutrality in the Context of the Russian–Ukrainian War (2022–2025)

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of the Republic of Austria in the provision of humanitarian aid to Ukraine during the ongoing Russian–Ukrainian war. An important element of the Second Republic’s position on this issue is its legally enshrined neutrality. Following the restoration of Austria’s state sovereignty in 1955, neutrality became not only a guiding principle of foreign policy but also a significant component of Austrian national identity. The article focuses on several key issues. First, it examines the process through which Austria regained its independence after World War II, with particular attention to the role played by the victorious Allied powers in the conclusion of the Austrian State Treaty. Second, it explores the significance of the concept of neutrality as articulated in the Moscow Declaration and its contribution to the restoration of the Second Austrian Republic’s state sovereignty in 1955. Third, the article traces the evolution of neutrality from a political principle into a central element of Austrian national self-understanding during the Cold War and in the post-Cold War period. Finally, it assesses Austria’s role in supporting Ukraine during the Russian–Ukrainian war (2022–2025).

The article concludes that, as a member of the European Union, Austria was politically compelled to align itself with European sanctions against Russia. At the same time, it firmly rejected the provision of military assistance to Ukraine, thereby aligning its position with that of Hungary. However, in contrast to its neighbor, the Alpine Republic declared from the outset of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine that it stood in solidarity with Ukraine. Humanitarian initiatives for Ukraine have expanded, accompanied by EU-level support. Austria, unlike Hungary, has refrained from anti-Ukrainian rhetoric or actions that could undermine European sanctions against Russia.