Austria is rethinking its cosy ties with Russia

“DESPITE BEINGEUNGOFPöEU a neutral country, Austria positioned itself very clearly,” says Karl Nehammer, Austria’s chancellor. Sitting in his offices at Vienna’s baroque Ballhausplatz, he says that Austria’s immediate backing of sanctions against Russia surprised many. Austria gave €60m ($64m) to s to help Ukraine and donated helmets, protective vests and fuel. The small country has taken in 66,000 Ukrainian refugees. Mr Nehammer sees his visit to Vladimir Putin on April 11th to appeal for a ceasefire as part of that support.Others thought the visit showed ambivalence. Indeed, Mr Nehammer’s backing of Ukraine was not assured. Austria, which became neutral during the cold war at Soviet insistence, has been notably friendly to the Kremlin in recent decades. Eastern Europeans refer to it as Russia’s Trojan horse in western Europe. After Mr Putin annexed Crimea in 2014, Austria was the first Western country to welcome him for a visit. The far-right Austrian Freedom Party () frequently criticised the ’s sanctions against Russia and praised the country as a bastion of cultural conservatism.