By Abby Chitty with AP
Published on •Updated
In his first visit to Austria since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy secured a pledge of non-military support from the traditionally neutral country.
During his meetings with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and Chancellor Christian Stocker, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine and Austria had signed agreements on critical areas such as de-mining, energy, cybersecurity and reconstruction.
At a joint press conference, Van der Bellen reaffirmed Austria’s neutral stance on military matters but emphasised that Austria is “by no means politically neutral,” voicing support for Ukraine’s defence against Russia.
Austria has also backed EU sanctions on Moscow and pledged to assist Ukraine’s reconstruction once the war ends.
Zelenskyy thanked Austria for its “continuous support of Ukraine’s just position in its fight for independence.”
He also condemned Russia’s behaviour during talks over potential prisoner exchanges, revealing that Russian negotiators had once suggested swapping Ukrainian children for Russian soldiers, calling it “madness.”
He added, “This is beyond comprehension, beyond international law, and, frankly, in line with (Russia’s) usual behaviour.”
Austria, known for its neutrality since 1955, has faced criticism for its ties to Moscow despite condemning Russia’s invasion.
While Vienna has provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine, it has refrained from sending weapons.
Former Chancellor Karl Nehammer was the first EU leader to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin after the war began, though his efforts to persuade Putin to end the invasion were unsuccessful.
Zelenskyy’s visit to Austria comes ahead of his trip to the G7 Summit in Canada, where he is expected to call for more sanctions on Russia and discuss a potential US military aid package with President Donald Trump.
“We will discuss it with him,” he said. “I am sure we will have such opportunity, at least I count on it.”
Meanwhile, Russia launched 138 drones overnight, targeting Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Despite Ukraine intercepting or jamming most of them, 10 drones hit their targets, and falling debris caused additional damage.
A drone strike also hit the city of Sumy on Sunday night and Ukrainian power engineers have come under fire in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
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