Vienna [Austria], July 3: Vienna announced that it plans to join the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), a European air defence system aimed at closing the gaps of NATO's air defence.
"The threat situation has massively intensified due to the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine," said Chancellor Karl Nehammer, justifying the ongoing accession negotiations.
Austria, he said, together with other European countries, must therefore protect itself against drone and missile attacks.
The step is significant given that Austria is traditionally a militarily neutral state.
The ESSI was brought about by Germany against the backdrop of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The initiative seeks to bolster NATO, especially in areas where it is lacking, such as that of long-range ballistic missiles and in fending off drones and cruise missiles. More than a dozen European states have already joined the project.
Austria's neutral status would not be endangered by joining, Nehammer and Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner said in a joint statement.
"It is a question of participation in a protective umbrella that serves to avert danger," they argued.
Austria, Ireland and Malta, as the three neutral member states of the European Union, blocked several far-reaching EU security guarantees for Ukraine this week.
Source: Qatar Tribune