Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Monday became the first European Union (EU) leader to have a closed-door meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at his Moscow residence since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
With no subsequent joint pictures or statements from the two leaders, as per the request of Austria, Nehammer later told reporters that his talks with Putin were “direct, open and tough,” adding that he raised several concerns regarding Russia’s “serious war crimes” across Ukraine, particularly in Bucha, and the “urgent” need to establish humanitarian corridors in besieged Ukrainian cities. He also called for accountability from the Russian side over the atrocities committed in Bucha. In this regard, Nehammer’s message to Putin was clear: “This war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose,” adding that sanctions against Russia will stay in place as long as people in Ukraine continue to suffer.
Arrival of Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer at the country's embassy in Moscow.
— Dan Bailey (@Ap0calypseRadio) April 11, 2022
Today he will meet with Vladimir Putin
At the request of the Austrian side, the negotiations will be held behind closed doors pic.twitter.com/pEq8d7b9vY
The Austrian leader remarked that the meeting left him feeling “rather pessimistic” about an imminent resolution to the ongoing war, while also mentioning that Putin has “very little interest” in a direct meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
Nehammer noted that he will inform senior EU leaders about the details of his meeting even though it was strictly bilateral and not mandated by the EU.
Prior to the meeting, Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Schallenberg stated that the purpose of the meeting was to tell Putin “the truth” regarding the war, noting that face-to-face interaction will help convey the brutalities of the war. “Every voice that makes clear to President Putin what reality looks like outside the walls of [the] Kremlin is not a wasted voice,” declared Schallenberg.
A meeting between Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer & vladimir putin was ''not a friendly visit," Nehammer said.
— Iuliia Mendel (@IuliiaMendel) April 11, 2022
"This is not a friendly visit. I have just come from Ukraine & have seen with my own eyes the immeasurable suffering caused by the Russian war of aggression,” he said
Refusing to go into detail about the meeting, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov explained that the primary topic of discussion was the situation in Ukraine. Peskov suggested that Vienna and Moscow also discussed the issue of Russian gas, calling it “very, very relevant for the Austrian side.”
In recent weeks, Austria has intensified its diplomatic efforts with both Russia and Ukraine in an attempt to mediate a possible resolution. Austria maintains a stance of military neutrality towards Russia. At the same time, Vienna has stressed that it is firmly against Moscow’s aggression against Kyiv. This position could be a result of Austria’s high economic dependency on Russia; Moscow supplies 80% of Vienna’s gas and the financial institutions of the two countries share strong ties.
Austrian 🇦🇹
— Velina Tchakarova (@vtchakarova) April 9, 2022
Chancellor #Nehammer met Ukrainian 🇺🇦 President #Zelinskiy today. This is very strong signal from Vienna in a highly challenging phase of Russia’s war against Ukraine. @karlnehammer @ZelenskyyUa pic.twitter.com/GgVH0FpUpc
Nehammer’s visit to Moscow comes days after his visit to Kyiv, where he met Zelensky and toured the Ukrainian capital and witnessed the aftermath of Russia’s military assault. Other major European leaders, including British Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, have also made trips to Kyiv over the past few days.