Joint Appeal by Austrian Political LeadersIn Austria, representatives of various political parties and religious groups unanimously expressed concern over the erosion of international arms control. Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger (NEOS) issued a stark warning against relying on nuclear deterrence: “Nuclear weapons increase the risk of a catastrophe with incalculable humanitarian consequences—they do not create security. Lopatka called the commemoration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki a “reminder and a call to political action for the future.” Referring to statements by Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, Geist called it “alarming and absurd” to portray nuclear weapons as a shield for the faith: “The God of Jesus Christ does not sanctify weapons of mass destruction.” He called on Japan’s leadership to realign its security policy without nuclear deterrence and to accede to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).