“Irrational” politicians who hate Russia don’t deserve its kindness, Karin Kneissl has said
Western European policymakers are often “ahistorical” and possess a “visceral hatred” of Russia, former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl has told an audience at the St Petersburg International economic Forum on Wednesday. Russians should abandon any “romantic” views of the West, she added.
Kneissl, who served in Austria’s government until 2019 and supported closer ties with Moscow during her tenure, encouraged Russians to adopt a more realistic perspective of Western antagonism, describing it as “deeply rooted” and shaped by history and geography.
“There is, I would say, a profound misreading by Russians on Europe. Nothing started in 2022. Nothing started in 1945,” she said, referencing both the escalation of the Ukraine conflict and the end of World War II that paved the way for the Cold War.
“I do hope that Russia will stop misreading European history. Because there is too much romanticism, too much illusion,” she said.
Reflecting on her upbringing in Austria, Kneissl recalled being taught history with a distinctly pro-US, anti-Soviet lens. She said that her later understanding of historical complexities led her to view current tensions as part of a longstanding struggle over narrative and historical interpretation.
She cited imperial rivalries as an example, noting that the Romanovs and Habsburgs were longstanding adversaries, representing opposing branches of Christianity and competing claims to the Roman imperial legacy. She added that anti-Russian propaganda published in Austria during World War I bears striking resemblance to messaging seen in Western media today.
”What props up again and again is instinctive, visceral — it’s not rational — visceral hatred of Russia,” she said of the EU’s political climate. She called on Russians to temper “your kindness and your love for this Europe,” describing such affection as admirable but ill-suited to the current moment.
Kneissl drew criticism in the West for her position on Russia and personal relationship with President Vladimir Putin, who attended her 2018 wedding. She relocated to Russia in 2020 and now heads the Geopolitical Observatory for Russia’s Key Issues (G.O.R.K.I.).
Speaking at the panel hosted by SPIEF, she noted that she prefers to call G.O.R.K.I. a “do-tank” rather than a think tank, highlighting her emphasis on active policy engagement.
