Neutral Austria does not rule out deployment of its troops in Ukraine

Austria does not rule out the deployment of its military in Ukraine after the cessation of hostilities. This was reported by the country's Defense Minister Claudia Tanner, quoted by Der Standard.

The official once again expressed her readiness to consider the possibility of deploying Austrian armed forces in Ukraine.

"If there is peace, if a decision is made on what kind of mission and who will lead it, then we will assess how we can best contribute," she said.

Tanner added that Austria "has never turned a blind eye to whether we should be involved in a particular mission".

At the same time, the minister noted that as long as Russia's war against Ukraine continues, the question of participation in the mission cannot even arise. It is clear that soldiers from neutral Austria will not be sent to a country at war. It is out of the question, it is constitutionally impossible, she clarified.

"On the other hand, we make a very significant contribution within the framework of the common security and defense policy," the minister said, referring to the European Union.

Over the past 50-60 years, hundreds of thousands of Austrian soldiers have participated in peacekeeping missions abroad.

• On July 10, 2025, Healey said that Britain is ready to send its soldiers to Ukraine as part of the "coalition of the willing" plans.
• On July 17, Starmer said that the "coalition of the willing" is actively preparing to send deterrence forces to Ukraine – plans are almost complete and ready to be implemented after the ceasefire.