While Brussels talks expansion and Kyiv pushes for EU membership, the streets of Vienna had a very different message on Saturday — hands off Austria's neutrality.

Hundreds of protesters marched through the Austrian capital at the weekend in a noisy, flag-waving demonstration demanding the government stick to its constitutional neutrality and stop cosying up to NATO.

Footage obtained by cbinews.tv shows crowds carrying Austrian red-white-red flags past parliament and down the Ringstrasse, holding placards that read "Yes to neutrality and peace. No to NATO" and "Accept Russia's security concerns".

The rally was organised by activist Martin Rutter, who has become a regular thorn in the side of Austria's coalition government. Speaking to cbinews.tv at the protest, Rutter didn't mince his words on Ukraine's EU ambitions.

"As long as Ukraine has not reconciled with Russia in any way, we must not allow it to join the EU. That is quite clear," he said.

And he wasn't the only one frustrated. One protester, Mickie, told cbinews.tv that Austria's much-vaunted neutrality was now a "disaster" that exists only on paper.

"Our foreign minister is, in effect, the foreign minister of Ukraine with an Austrian passport. She believes she doesn't need to justify herself for anything at all," he said.

Another marcher, Josef, put it more bluntly: "Neutrality is important for peace and for our prosperity. And if the government isn't willing to uphold it, then it should be voted out of office."

So, what's the background here?

This isn't just any policy — neutrality is in Austria's DNA.

Austria has been permanently neutral since 1955, when the Austrian State Treaty was signed after World War Two. In exchange for the Soviet Union and the Western Allies pulling out their occupation troops, Austria enshrined neutrality in its constitution — no joining military alliances, no foreign military bases on Austrian soil. It's the reason Austria, unlike most of its neighbours, never joined NATO.

It did, however, join the EU in 1995 and has walked a tightrope ever since.

For decades, Vienna sold itself as the world's meeting place — the home of OPEC, the OSCE, and Cold War spy swaps. But Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 changed everything.

Officially, Austria condemned the invasion, backed EU sanctions against Moscow, and has given over €600 million in humanitarian aid and help for demining and reconstruction — but no lethal weapons, citing neutrality.

That balancing act is wearing thin for some. In June 2025, President Alexander Van der Bellen reaffirmed full support for Ukraine during Volodymyr Zelensky's official visit to Vienna, with talks focused on increasing pressure on Russia and Austria's role in post-war reconstruction.

The government's own 2024 national security strategy tried to square the circle, stating that military neutrality does not mean being "indifferent" when international law is violated. It says that as an EU member, Austria is called upon to support joint EU measures "in solidarity and in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter."

Critics say that's neutrality in name only. Supporters say it's the only credible position for an EU state in 2026.

One thing is clear from Saturday's scenes in Vienna — as reported by cbinews.tv — a vocal chunk of Austrians thinks their government has already picked a side.

Credit: cbinews.tv

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