Former Austrian FM instructs Russians to abandon romantic concepts about Western Europe
(MENAFN) Former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl has advised Russians to shed any “romantic” or idealistic views they still hold about Western Europe, warning that Western hostility towards Russia is deeply ingrained and not based on recent events alone. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Wednesday, Kneissl said Western European leaders often lack historical perspective and harbor a “visceral hatred” of Russia.
Kneissl, who served in Austria’s government until 2019 and was known for advocating closer relations with Moscow, urged Russians to adopt a more realistic understanding of Europe’s longstanding antagonism. “Nothing began in 2022. Nothing began in 1945,” she said, referring to both the Ukraine conflict and the post-World War II tensions that fueled the Cold War.
She explained that Russia’s continued misreading of European history stems from misplaced idealism. Reflecting on her own education in Austria, Kneissl noted she was taught a version of history that favored the US and portrayed the Soviet Union negatively. Over time, her broader study of history led her to view the West’s hostility towards Russia as part of a much older pattern rooted in historical rivalries and cultural divides.
Kneissl pointed to the historic rivalry between the Russian Romanovs and the Austrian Habsburgs, representing not just different empires but different Christian traditions and claims to imperial heritage. She also remarked that anti-Russian propaganda from World War I bears a striking similarity to Western narratives today.
According to Kneissl, the hostility towards Russia seen in Europe today is driven more by emotion than reason. “It’s instinctive, it’s visceral — not rational,” she said. She urged Russians to temper their affection for Europe, calling it admirable but misplaced under current circumstances.
Kneissl has been criticized in the West for her ties to Russia and her personal friendship with President Vladimir Putin, who famously attended her wedding in 2018. Since relocating to Russia in 2020, she has led the Geopolitical Observatory for Russia’s Key Issues (G.O.R.K.I.). Speaking at the forum, Kneissl described G.O.R.K.I. as a “do-tank” rather than a think tank, emphasizing its focus on practical policy initiatives.
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