An increasingly brutal war in Ukraine (-> current news from the Ukraine war), several explosive conflicts in the Middle East and a new US president who is not only laying claim to Greenland (-> USA: What does Donald Trump want with Greenland?), but is also shaking up the global security architecture: At the presentation of “Risk Image 2025 – Elected! Democracy and the free world” (-> To download the report) of the Federal Ministry of Defense in Vienna, all those responsible emphasized the fragile European security situation.
Major General Erwin Hameseder, the militia officer of the Austrian Armed Forces opened the event with a comprehensive outlook on the economic aspects of security policy and pleaded not only for a more sustainable establishment of the militia within the armed forces, but also for a more sustainable design of investments in security and defense. “Today, there are no more warning times and we must be prepared for threats at all times,” said Hameseder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQp41p0HP_c „Wir haben die Präsentation des Risikobildes 2024 davon gesprochen, dass die Welt aus den Fugen ist”, so Verteidigungsministerin Klaudia Tanner anschließend in ihrer Keynote. „Leider ist die Welt nach wie vor aus den Fugen. Die Situation kann einem durchaus Angst machen. Wenn man in die Ukraine blickt, in den Nahen Osten oder auf die aktuellen Entwicklungen nach der Amtseinführung des neuen Präsidenten in den USA, dann ist ganz klar: Wir müssen uns vorbereiten. Und genau das tun wir auch. Wir sind in Umsetzung unseres ,Aufbauplans 2032+” und haben dahingehend bereits viele wichtige Schritte gesetzt.”
Minister Tanner continued: “I am certain that the concept of comprehensive national defense must be put into practice not only in Austria, but also at European level, in order to make Europe and therefore Austria more secure together.”
Brigadier Ronald Vartok, Head of the Defense Policy and International Development Directorate, then presented the risk picture he and his directorate had drawn up. “I regret to have to start with some bad news. But we are in a state of war in Europe. And by that I don’t mean classic military confrontation, but hybrid warfare, which is a deliberate, strategic measure that is being deployed in depth. We are living in extremely uncertain times.”
This year’s publication focuses on ten main threats: Among others, the erosion of the rules-based world order, the consequences of the 2024 super election year and the associated impact on democratic states and the international order.
Multiple threats for Austria and Europe
In his presentation, Vartok addressed the biggest security challenges currently facing Austria:
- According to Vartok, the greatest threat comes from a possible expansion of the war in Ukraine and a possible military confrontation between Russia and NATO and Russia and the EU.
- Wildfire in the Near and Middle East.
- Other major challenges defined in the risk picture relate to information operations/disinformation, cyber attacks, attacks from the air and a weakening of European integration.
Security policy discussion round
In a subsequent panel discussion, journalist and US expert Hannelore Veit, security policy expert Michael Karnitschnig, political scientist Peter Filzmaier and Lieutenant General Bruno Hofbauer (-> Interview with Militär Aktuell), Deputy Chief of the General Staff and Head of Planning of the Austrian Armed Forces, discussed security policy conclusions from the risk picture under the moderation of Corinna Milborn.
Lieutenant General Bruno Hofbauer addressed the risk of war in Ukraine: “We should be deeply concerned that a European problem is being decided in Moscow and Washington. And we should not forget: Russia will not stop with Ukraine. Moscow has a clear interest in changing the balance of power in Europe and the world. And Russia will pursue this interest with vigor.”
The last keynote speech of the day came from Secretary General Arnold Kammel: “Competition will increase and our values and ideals will be increasingly called into question. We see an erosion of the multilateral world order, but we do not have an answer. It is our task to find this answer and to prepare ourselves for what is to be expected and will come in the near future.”
Here for further army news.
