Austria signals openness to peacekeeping role in Ukraine after war
Photo: Austrian Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (Getty Images)
Austria's Ministry of Defence is ready to consider the possibility of deploying its troops to Ukraine after the war with Russia ends, states Austrian Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner, according to Der Standard.
"When there is peace, and when a decision is made on what kind of mission it will be and who will lead it, we will then assess how we can make the best possible contribution," Tanner said.
She emphasized that Austria has never ruled out the question of whether it should take part in such a peacekeeping mission.
"As long as the war continues, the issue of participating in a mission cannot even arise. It has always been clear that soldiers from neutral Austria would not be deployed to a country at war. That is out of the question — it's constitutionally impossible," the minister added.
Tanner stressed that Austria is militarily neutral.
"On the other hand, we make very substantial contributions within the framework of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy," she noted.
According to the Austrian Defense Minister, over the past 50–60 years, hundreds of thousands of Austrian soldiers have taken part in peacekeeping missions abroad.
Deployment of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine
In early April, a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing took place in Kyiv — an alliance of countries that pledged support to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
The coalition was announced by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in March 2025.
Following the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that French and British troops would be among the first to arrive in Ukraine. According to him, these countries are the leading representatives of the European continent.
At the same time, other allies have also expressed readiness to join the peacekeeping mission.
Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the countries of the Coalition of the Willing have increased the size of the peacekeeping forces for Ukraine.
According to him, the force now numbers up to 50,000 troops. They could be deployed in Ukraine — but only after a ceasefire is reached between Ukraine and Russia.
