https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Austria in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The growing threat from Russia and the risk of renewed conflict in Europe have thrown a spotlight on the continent's varied military service models. https://www.thelocal.at/20251127/threat-of-war-which-countries-in-europe-have-military-service Thu, 27 Nov 2025 13:37:47 +0100 threat-of-war-which-countries-in-europe-have-military-service The country's connections to Russia, high property prices and lenient rules make it a haven for criminals looking to clean illicit money https://www.thelocal.at/20240711/why-austria-is-a-paradise-for-money-laundering Thu, 11 Jul 2024 17:57:22 +0200 why-austria-is-a-paradise-for-money-laundering Austria's Climate Minister announced Tuesday that a commission has been set up to examine the possibility of exiting a gas supply contract between energy group OMV and Gazprom in a bid to cut its dependence on Russia. https://www.thelocal.at/20240710/austrian-commission-to-examine-quitting-russian-gas-deal Wed, 10 Jul 2024 11:11:55 +0200 austrian-commission-to-examine-quitting-russian-gas-deal Austria summoned Russia's representative in the country to protest over what it called Moscow's "unprecedented" withdrawal of media accreditation of an Austrian journalist. https://www.thelocal.at/20240627/austria-summons-russia-envoy-after-journalist-told-to-leave Thu, 27 Jun 2024 12:11:36 +0200 austria-summons-russia-envoy-after-journalist-told-to-leave In an unprecedented political comment, Austria’s longest-serving intelligence chief is warning voters over the far-right Freedom Party’s ties to Vladimir Putin’s regime. https://www.thelocal.at/20230914/former-austrian-spy-chief-warns-of-far-right-fpos-russia-ties Thu, 14 Sep 2023 16:53:26 +0200 former-austrian-spy-chief-warns-of-far-right-fpos-russia-ties Vienna on Thursday summoned the European Commission's envoy to Austria after he reportedly slammed the country for continuing to buy Russian gas with "blood money". https://www.thelocal.at/20230908/austrian-government-summons-eu-envoy-over-russian-gas-blood-money-comments Fri, 08 Sep 2023 11:57:50 +0200 austrian-government-summons-eu-envoy-over-russian-gas-blood-money-comments Austria has cut its dependence on Russian gas but it must keep up efforts to diversify its supplies for the next cold season, the head of Austrian energy group OMV told AFP. https://www.thelocal.at/20221203/omv-chief-austria-must-continue-to-cut-russian-gas-reliance Sat, 03 Dec 2022 10:22:39 +0100 omv-chief-austria-must-continue-to-cut-russian-gas-reliance Austria criticised Russia on Thursday after it refused to allow an Austrian Airlines flight to be rerouted to avoid Belarusian airspace, resulting in the Vienna-Moscow service being cancelled. https://www.thelocal.at/20210528/austria-slams-russia-over-cancelled-vienna-moscow-flight Fri, 28 May 2021 13:40:51 +0200 austria-slams-russia-over-cancelled-vienna-moscow-flight Austrian media report that a Russian diplomat who is to be expelled from the country has been involved in economic espionage for years. https://www.thelocal.at/20200824/vienna-to-expel-russian-diplomat-amid-espionage-report Mon, 24 Aug 2020 15:58:43 +0200 vienna-to-expel-russian-diplomat-amid-espionage-report The European Union will next month consider further sanctions against Russia over the latest flare-up in the Ukraine conflict, the foreign minister of Austria, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said Tuesda https://www.thelocal.at/20181127/eu-to-consider-tougher-russia-sanctions-over-ukraine Tue, 27 Nov 2018 14:04:25 +0100 eu-to-consider-tougher-russia-sanctions-over-ukraine A retired colonel in the Austrian army is suspected of having spied for Russia for several decades, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Friday. https://www.thelocal.at/20181109/austria-says-retired-colonel-suspected-of-spying-for-russia Fri, 09 Nov 2018 11:05:28 +0100 austria-says-retired-colonel-suspected-of-spying-for-russia Austria has had to take "trust-building measurements" to retain cooperation with allied secret services, its interior minister said on Friday in a grilling over government raids on the country's domestic intelligence agency. https://www.thelocal.at/20180908/austria-told-to-build-trust-with-western-allies-concerned-with-russia-ties Sat, 08 Sep 2018 05:38:45 +0200 austria-told-to-build-trust-with-western-allies-concerned-with-russia-ties Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Tuesday condemned "Russian aggression" in Ukraine's east, an unusually strong wording coming on the heels of President Vladimir Putin's controversial visit to Austria. https://www.thelocal.at/20180905/kurz-condemns-russian-aggression-ukraine Wed, 05 Sep 2018 13:38:34 +0200 kurz-condemns-russian-aggression-ukraine Is Moscow being passed intelligence gathered by Austria's secret service? https://www.thelocal.at/20180824/fps-russia-ties-cast-doubt-on-reliability-of-austrias-secret-services Fri, 24 Aug 2018 11:18:38 +0200 fps-russia-ties-cast-doubt-on-reliability-of-austrias-secret-services Austria said on Monday that it would not follow a number of other EU countries in expelling Russian diplomats over the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Britain, stressing its neutrality. https://www.thelocal.at/20180327/neutral-austria-wont-expel-russian-diplomats Tue, 27 Mar 2018 11:16:33 +0200 neutral-austria-wont-expel-russian-diplomats Austria will extradite the alleged boss of a Russian crime gang wanted by Moscow for a string of murders after a court rejected his appeal on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.at/20170913/austria-to-extradited-alleged-russian-gang-boss Wed, 13 Sep 2017 11:06:39 +0200 austria-to-extradited-alleged-russian-gang-boss Austrian and Germany have lashed out at Washington over new sanctions against Russia that target the planned Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Europe. https://www.thelocal.at/20170616/austria-germany-angry-us-sanctions-russsia-energy-nord-stream Fri, 16 Jun 2017 18:33:37 +0200 austria-germany-angry-us-sanctions-russsia-energy-nord-stream EU authorities on Monday approved a controversial nuclear expansion project in Hungary that is heavily backed by Russia. https://www.thelocal.at/20170307/austria-fumes-at-hungary-kremlin-backed-nuclear-plant Tue, 07 Mar 2017 10:13:50 +0100 austria-fumes-at-hungary-kremlin-backed-nuclear-plant Austria's OMV said that it is buying a 24.99-percent stake in one of Russia's biggest gas fields for $1.85 billion. https://www.thelocal.at/20170306/austrian-energy-group-omv-russia-gas-field Mon, 06 Mar 2017 14:41:50 +0100 austrian-energy-group-omv-russia-gas-field As Austria prepares to take over the chairmanship of The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2017, Austria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sebastian Kurz has said he will use it as an opportunity to push for an easing of the sanctions against Russia. https://www.thelocal.at/20161230/kurz-to-push-for-easing-of-sanctions-against-russia Fri, 30 Dec 2016 14:10:13 +0100 kurz-to-push-for-easing-of-sanctions-against-russia