Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) ventures into the war zone to see the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky. He is also working on the reputation of Austria, which many consider Kremlin-friendly.
The diplomatic coup began on Monday evening with a phone call. Just hours later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a guest on Twitter to the world: Karl Nehammer, the Austrian Federal Chancellor, ÖVP. He is scheduled to travel to Kyiv this week, right in the middle of the war zone. A visible sign of solidarity – and the chance to smooth out one or the other nick in Austria’s reputation, which is considered Kremlin-friendly.
The official confirmation from the Federal Chancellery followed on Tuesday. Preparations for the trip are now in full swing. The Ukrainian ambassador in Vienna is closely involved in this. The delegation will be very small. According to initial plans, journalists are not on board. For security reasons, the Chancellery does not provide any further details before departure.
