The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, along with First Lady Olena Zelenska, arrived in Austria for an official visit. The visit’s program began with a joint meeting with the President of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen, and First Lady Doris Schmidauer.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Deepening Cooperation and Involvement of Austrian Business
After the official greetings, Volodymyr Zelensky and Alexander Van der Bellen held talks in a one-on-one format, as well as in an expanded delegation format. During the negotiations, the parties discussed further support for Ukraine, opportunities for deepening bilateral cooperation in various fields, and the involvement of Austrian businesses in the post-war reconstruction of Ukrainian infrastructure. Special attention was given to issues of humanitarian demining, the restoration of the energy sector, ensuring food security, and building shelters for the civilian population.
“After the joint meeting, Volodymyr Zelensky and Alexander Van der Bellen will discuss in a one-on-one format and in an expanded format the continuation of support for Ukraine, deepening cooperation in various sectors, and the involvement of Austrian businesses in the post-war reconstruction of our country. The leaders will focus on humanitarian demining, energy restoration, food security, and the construction of shelters.”
The Issue of the Return of Deported Children and Future Plans
Among the key topics of discussion, the issue of returning Ukrainian children who were illegally deported and forcibly relocated by Russia from temporarily occupied territories was specifically addressed. The conversation also included the continuation of treatment, rehabilitation, and wellness programs for Ukrainian children affected by the war.
Zelensky’s visit to Vienna marked the first since the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine in 2022. According to the Austrian government, after the meeting and joint press conference with the country’s president, Zelensky will hold talks with Chancellor Christian Stocker.
At the same time, the far-right Freedom Party of Austria, known for its pro-Russian stance, criticized the visit of the President of Ukraine, considering it a violation of the country’s neutrality principle.
After completing the program in Vienna, Volodymyr Zelensky plans to head to the G7 summit in Canada, where a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled.