Vienna/Brussels (APA) – Austria’s liberal Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger has called for the EU to swiftly form a team to advocate for European interests in negotiations over the 28-point plan proposed by the USA to resolve the Ukraine conflict in Geneva. On Sunday, she suggested Finnish President Alexander Stubb as a potential head of delegation in a public broadcast, reiterating her stance against the requirement of unanimity in EU foreign policy.
The recent Ukraine plan from the USA largely aligns with key Russian demands and disregards established red lines set by Kyiv, while explicitly excluding European responses. In this context, Meinl-Reisinger labeled the situation as “very serious,” a sentiment consistent since Russia’s aggression against Ukraine commenced in February 2022 and amid the foreign policy of US President Donald Trump.
Finland currently holding OSCE presidency
Stubb maintains a positive relationship with Trump, and Finland, which shares a border with Russia, has shifted away from neutrality to join NATO due to the changes in Europe’s landscape caused by the conflict. Meinl-Reisinger argued for Stubb’s selection as a top EU negotiator, noting that Finland presently holds the presidency of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), based in Vienna, where Russia is also a member.
As alternatives to Stubb, Meinl-Reisinger referenced EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Antonio Costa. Currently, only foreign policy advisors from the E3 countries – France, Germany, and Great Britain – are engaged in the discussions in Geneva.
Regarding the 28-point plan, she stated that any peace efforts should be welcomed, yet expressed that the USA’s role as a mediator between Russia and NATO is “grotesque.” Therefore, she advocates for the EU to present its own peace proposal.
Against “Neutralism”
Meinl-Reisinger also stressed that Austria, as an EU member, is politically “not neutral” concerning the Ukraine war, highlighting the nation’s involvement in conflict resolution, including the repatriation of deported Ukrainian children from Russia.
The head of the liberal NEOS party noted that there is no current two-thirds majority in the Austrian Parliament to abolish neutrality. Austria’s neutrality prohibits joining military alliances and restricts “foreign troops on Austrian soil,” she emphasized. However, she argued that neutrality alone does not safeguard Austria and must not be interpreted as “neutralism,” which fails to recognize the Ukraine war as a breach of international law, a critique aimed at the right-wing nationalist opposition party FPÖ, part of the “Patriots for Europe” group in the EU Parliament. Furthermore, she asserted that a majority of the populace “clearly acknowledges that our security should be organized at the European level.” (23.11.2025)
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