Austrian chancellor to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow
April 11, 2022, 7:44 am

Austrian chancellor to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer: I will leave for Moscow in the evening to meet Vladimir Putin for a conversation tomorrow. Austria is militarily neutral, but has a clear stance on the Russian war on Ukraine. This war needs to stop! Humanitarian corridors, a ceasefire and a complete explanation of war crimes is needed now (File photo and text: Karl Nehammer official Facebook page)

The A News reported, citing the Anadolu Agency, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer will visit Moscow on Monday to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, becoming the first European leader to meet with him since Russia launched its war on Ukraine.

Nehammer said Sunday on Twitter that Austria is a militarily neutral country, but it has a "clear stance" on the Russian war against Ukraine.

He urged the two sides to stop the war and reach a cease-fire to pave the way for the establishment of humanitarian corridors and a full investigation of war crimes.

Nehammer said he informed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about his scheduled visit to Russia.

I have in advance informed our European partners, including the President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Council President Charles MICHEL , the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz , the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and of course also informed the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj (File photo and text: Karl Nehammer official Facebook page)

Nehammer's visit will come after he met with Zelenskyy and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko in Ukraine on Saturday (Apr 9).

During the visit, Nehammer reiterated Austria's support for Ukraine and said "the war crimes committed by Russia cannot be ignored."

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Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has been met with international outrage, with the European Union, US and the UK, among others, implementing stringent economic penalties on Moscow.

Hundreds of global companies have also suspended operations in Russia.

At least 1,793 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,439 injured, according to estimates by the UN, which noted that the true figure is likely far higher.

UK sanctions Russian President Vladimir Putin’s daughters over Ukraine invasion

According to the UN refugee agency, ,ore than 4.5 million Ukrainians have also fled to several European countries, with millions more displaced inside the country.

Source: anews

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.