Austrian foreign minister says Putin's comments mark 'weakness'

VIENNA

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's statements "pointed weakness" and that it was "a clear admission that the Russian strategy did not work on the battlefield."

Schallenberg made statements about Putin's announcement on partial military mobilization and threat of using nuclear weapons.

He said Putin's statements would push diplomacy away and cause the war to deepen.

"(Putin's words) point to weakness and it is an admission that the Russian strategy clearly does not work on the battlefield," Schallenberg said.

Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer also strongly condemned Putin's statements and said the situation is "very serious" and a more cautious response should be given.

Nehammer claimed that "Russia's propaganda is to spread fear and uneasiness, to destabilize third countries and to divide the European Union."