Petra Steger, the Austrian Freedom Party's candidate for the European Parliament, says the aim is to avoid war, not to allow for the conflict to spread.

The question is not whether Ukraine will join, but rather when,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during a two-day meeting of the foreign ministers of the defense alliance’s member states. It is not just this statement from Mr. Stoltenberg that thrust him into the international media spotlight, but also his call to establish a 100-billion-euro NATO fund to provide permanent support for Ukraine. Petra Steger, European spokesperson of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPO) and its EP candidate, described Mr. Stoltenberg’s ideas as a brutal attack on Austria’s security.

The pro-war, peace-destroying sentiment eminating from Brussels has reached NATO, bringing the horrifying scenario of a major war ever closer. It is abundantly clear that Russia would never accept Ukraine’s NATO membership, and it is also clear that peace cannot be achieved on that basis in any case. On the contrary, there is a threat of a massive military escalation that would, of course, have a profound impact on Austria, at the heart of Europe. The security of our country and our people is in grave danger,

– Petra Steger said, reacting to the developments at the NATO meeting in Brussels. She added that Mr. Stoltenberg’s proposed financial assistance would plunge Europe into crisis, with most member states being unable to meet NATO’s minimum of spending at least two percent of GDP on defence.

The staggering amount of 100 billion euros proposed for Ukraine would merely prolong the bloody war, she opined. This has already been demonstrated by the EU under Ursula von der Leyen’s leadership, as the bloc keeps pumping billions into Ukraine at the expense of net contributor states, she added. It is clear that securing peace is no longer the aim of this European elite, which instead is bracing itself for a full confrontation with Russia, including by negotiating the deployment of troops,

– Ms. Steger said. FPO’s EP candidate criticised the leadership of both the European Union and NATO, arguing that the vloc’s pro-war rhetoric must end. She said a good first step in this direction would be a right-wing turnaround in all countries at the upcoming EP elections, as European conservative and right-wing forces are typically driven by reason, rather than by ideology.

Recently, Petra Steger also reacted to French President Emmanuel Macron’s pro-war remarks with sharp criticism. In a post shared on her social media, she wrote:

„The escalations of the war are heading towards a new climax. If they cross the red line of sending European troops into Ukraine, Europe will face unimaginable suffering and destruction. To prevent this scenario from becoming reality, we need a major peace offensive, and we need it now!”