MOSCOW, August 28. /TASS/. Austria's potential loss of its non-aligned status raises pressing questions about the future of its role in international diplomacy. Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, articulated this concern in his article entitled NATO Anschluss on his VKontakte social media page. He warned that abandoning Austria’s neutrality and joining NATO could entail significant diplomatic costs, including the possible relocation of key international organizations’ headquarters from Vienna to countries in the Global South and East.

Medvedev emphasized that Vienna currently serves as a vital hub for multilateral diplomacy, hosting approximately 20 international organizations such as the UN, IAEA, OSCE, and OPEC. This concentration cements Vienna’s position as a central arena for global dialogue, enabling the development of legal responses to emerging challenges and threats.

He noted that Vienna’s status as a neutral city was instrumental in securing its selection as the host for numerous international offices. "The choice of Vienna was largely due to its non-aligned stance, which provided an effective platform for dialogue and regional cooperation," Medvedev stated. "Abandoning that neutrality in favor of bloc mentality undermines the very 'spirit of Vienna,' jeopardizing Austria’s ability to maintain balanced relations with diverse international partners. This shift diminishes Austria’s unique role as a mediator and as the host of major international institutions."

Concluding his remarks, Medvedev advocates for reconsidering the location of these global organizations.

"It’s clear that the time has come to explore relocating the headquarters of international intergovernmental organizations to countries of the Global South and East, where optimal conditions for their work can be assured," he asserted.

Attempts to abandon neutrality: critical examination

In his article, Medvedev vividly describes Europe's burgeoning militarization, warning that the continent’s countries, intoxicated by hostility, are "like enchanted moths flocking to the destructive flame of the North Atlantic Alliance." He contends that until recently, many European nations recognized that their security could be maintained without joining military blocs. However, he laments, reason is rapidly surrendering to herd mentality. Following Finland and Sweden, Austria’s establishment - encouraged by Brussels - has rekindled discussions about abandoning its constitutionally protected neutral status in favor of NATO membership.

Medvedev highlights that Austrian society is largely opposed to this shift. He cites recent electoral statistics: the liberal party, New Austria, which advocates for this alignment, garnered less than 10% of votes, whereas the opposition Austrian Freedom Party, fiercely against adopting Brussels’ militaristic policies, secured 37%. Despite public resistance, efforts to erode Austria’s neutrality have been underway for decades. Since the 1990s, under the guise of participating in the EU's common security and defense policy, Vienna has been strengthening military ties. This included engagement in EU military training missions, and by 2022, Austria’s military presence beyond Europe was increasing. Notably, from 2022 to 2025, Austrian General Robert Brieger served as Chair of the EU Military Committee.

While the EU intensifies its defense capabilities, Austria has experienced a gradual NATOization and militarization process. The country has actively participated in NATO’s Partnership for Peace initiative, effectively aligning itself with the bloc’s logic. Austria has become a key transit country, with over 3,000 military convoys crossing its territory in 2024 alone, and more than 5,000 alliance aircraft flights overhead, Medvedev notes. Amid these developments, Vienna has begun to suggest that the "shaken pacifist consensus" and perceived "Russian threat" offer a historic opportunity to put an end to its neutrality, which some see as "shackles of the past." Medvedev describes this as a dangerous deviation from Austria’s foundational principles.

Foundations of Austrian sovereignty

Medvedev emphasizes that Austria’s neutrality is foundational to its national identity. Restored after WWII through the collective will of the Allies, Austria’s neutrality is enshrined in key 1955 documents: the Moscow Memorandum, the Austrian State Treaty, and its constitutional law on permanent neutrality. These legal pillars are pivotal to Austria’s sovereignty; any attempt to discard them is fraught with the risk of undermining the entire state structure.

How should Moscow respond? Medvedev advocates firmly quashing unwarranted militaristic ambitions within international legal boundaries. He warns that Austria cannot lawfully unilaterally abandon its neutrality or join NATO without breaching its international commitments. The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, particularly Article 27, clearly stipulates that domestic laws cannot justify violations of international treaties. Furthermore, NATO is not recognized as a regional collective defense organization under international law, meaning participation cannot serve as a substitute for neutrality.

Medvedev underscores that such legal constraints are supported by prominent experts, including Karin Kneissl, a former Austrian Foreign Minister and head of the G.O.R.K.I. center at St. Petersburg State University. She emphasizes that altering Austria’s neutrality status requires a consensus among all signatory states of the 1955 treaty - including Russia, as the legal successor to the Soviet Union. Accordingly, Moscow retains the sovereign right to veto any moves by Vienna toward NATO integration.