Parliament President Says Gov't Could Support Sanctions On NS II

Seeking to row back comments from the chancellor and foreign minister, President of the National Council (the Austrian legislature) Wolfgang Sobotka has stated to Politico that the Austrian gov't would support Western sanctions against Russia in the event of an invasion of Ukraine, even if these included sanctions on the Nord Stream II gas pipeline.

• Previously, Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg have sought to separate sanctions on Russia from sanctions on the NSII pipeline, with Nehammer telling Germany's Der Spiegel that, "Seeing a pipeline as a threat in itself is rather inappropriate, especially where the security of Europe's gas supply is concerned".
• Austria has close economic links with Russia, and is not a member of NATO, meaning that its pronouncements on the crisis have been few and far between. Even when politicians have spoken out their comments have been much more couched in terms of language compared to their Western allies.