Austrian chancellor warns of Ukraine war spiraling out of control

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) — Austria's chancellor has warned that the situation in Ukraine could spiral out of control, in a cautionary after France said deploying ground troops there should remain on the table.

"It is still important to prevent a major war, a third world war," Karl Nehammer told Austrian public broadcaster ORF on Wednesday evening, warning that a "spiral of escalation that can no longer be controlled" in the Russia-Ukraine war.

His remarks in the interview came after a statement by President Emmanuel Macron of France, a NATO member, that the deployment of ground troops in Ukraine should not be ruled out — a view Nehammer emphasized was "not a majority opinion."

Referencing Austrian history, Nehammer cautioned that "you can also stumble into wars that then turn into a great tragedy."

In addition to supporting Ukraine, he also called for diplomatic efforts: "New solutions are needed so that the conflict can end,"

He also underlined the need for countries outside the "Western echo chamber," particularly China and India, to help secure a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict, "as these countries have a great deal of influence over Russian President Vladimir Putin."

"We need to talk to the BRICS countries on an equal footing," said Nehammer, adding that as a neutral state to the Russia-Ukraine war, Austria can serve as a good point of contact in this effort.

After a summit in Paris in support of Ukraine, Macron had said Monday: "There is no consensus today that ground troops should be deployed in an official, accepted, and approved manner. But nothing should be ruled out."

"We will do everything necessary to ensure that Russia cannot win this war," he had added.

Also on Monday, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico warned against an escalation in the Ukraine conflict.

Speaking to reporters in his country's capital Bratislava, Fico said that some members of NATO and the EU were considering sending their own soldiers to Ukraine.