AUSTRIA, January 23 - Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg participated in the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 24^th January 2022. The discussions during this meeting of EU foreign ministers focussed largely on the extremely tense situation in Ukraine and possible EU sanctions against Russia. Other topics included the postponed elections in Libya and the situation in Syria and in Mali.

US Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken joined the discussion about Russia and Ukraine via videoconference. 

Today’s discussion with US Foreign Minister Tony Blinken sends a strong message about the transatlantic solidarity between the United States and the EU. We have a similar analysis of the threat situation, and we are working together to create a strong response in the case of military aggression from Russia, 

emphasised Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg. The message to Russia must be clear, he said: Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence are under no circumstances subject to negotiation.

The worst-case scenario, he said, would be a Russian military strike against Ukraine with tanks and heavy machinery – but there are also other ways that events could unfold, for which precautions are taken. Behind the scenes, people have been working on extensive economic and financial measures for several days now. 

Everything is on the table. But I caution against getting hung up on single keywords when it comes to sanctions. If Nord Stream 2 or SWIFT do not turn out to be part of the sanction package, that does not mean it is weak – I strongly believe that a project like Nord Stream 2, which does not even have an operating licence yet, cannot pose a convincing threat for Moscow, 

warned Foreign Minister Schallenberg. 

The EU foreign ministers also consulted on the parliamentary and presidential elections in Libya. The elections had been scheduled for December 2021, but they were delayed due to the extreme political tensions, and no new date has been set. 

I can understand why the elections were delayed – the goal was to avoid further instability in Libya. However, delaying them indefinitely is out of the question – there needs to be a clear timeline,

said Foreign Minister Schallenberg.

The elections are part of a political process that is supervised by the United Nations, and are seen as a decisive step towards achieving the long-term end of civil war in Libya.