Austria offers Vienna as a platform for talks with Russia
16 June 14:50
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived on an official visit to Austria today, June 16. The Ukrainian leader was greeted with military honors by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen in Hofburg, after which the delegations held closed-door talks, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Vienna offers a platform for negotiations
The key proposal of the Austrian side was the initiative of Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler to propose Vienna as a venue for future peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
“As a neutral country, Austria would be the best place to hold peace talks between Russia and Ukraine,” said Babler,
– babler said, adding that Vienna has a long tradition of hosting the UN.
The Vice Chancellor emphasized that Austria has been supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian aggression and has already mobilized about 327 million euros of state, financial and humanitarian aid.
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Babler also emphasized the importance of a fair recovery of Ukraine, noting that it
“should not be a business for the few, but should be socially just and sustainable.”
The total cost of rebuilding Ukraine is estimated at 500 billion euros.
The program of the visit also includes a meeting with Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker and Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger.
Not everyone was expecting Zelensky
However, the visit of the Ukrainian president drew sharp criticism from the Austrian opposition. The leader of the right-wing Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), Herbert Kieckl, sharply condemned the decision to host Zelenskyy in Vienna.
“Austria should not become a stage for military propaganda – neutrality instead of escalation,”
kieckl said a week ago when it became known about the planned visit. According to him, it is irresponsible to provide a platform for the president of a warring country at a time when many parties are making efforts to achieve peace. The Austrian politician called it not only a foreign policy foul, but also a step that could make Austria a possible target in the event of an escalation of the conflict.
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