VIENNA, December 20. /TASS/. The rising political influence of domestic "war parties" is a noticeable trend in those European countries with a traditional policy of neutrality, Konstantin Gavrilov, head of the Russian delegation to negotiations on military security and arms control in Vienna, said in an interview with TASS.
"As in all other countries, neutrals also have their 'war parties,' which are growing stronger or weaker depending on the situation. Currently, we’re seeing a trend toward their strengthening," he noted.
As an example, the diplomat pointed to Finland, which despite repeated affirmations of its fealty to the principle of neutrality, ultimately ended up joining the ranks of NATO. "Currently [Finland] is spreading a strain of Russophobia that nearly outdoes that seen in the Baltic states and among the Poles, and is blocking the border with our country," the diplomat said, adding that Austria and Switzerland, being neutral countries, do not stoop to such behavior.
Bern and Vienna are trying to maintain the neutrality enshrined in the Swiss and Austrian constitutions, respectively. For example, Austria is not providing arms or munitions to Ukraine despite aiding the Kiev regime in other areas.
"Austria retains the function of a bridge in a situation where all the other bridges have already been burned. Here, in Vienna, unifying international venues continue to function. Within the OSCE framework, we are maintaining constructive interaction with our Austrian colleagues, trading assessments of the situation in European security, as well as with Swiss diplomats," Gavrilov noted.