Nehamer said he had “direct, open and tough” talks with the Russian president that lasted 75 minutes in a venue outside the Russian capital. The talks took place in Russian, with the help of an interpreter, despite the fact that Putin spoke fluent German. The visit – which has stalled many European allies since it was announced Sunday night – comes as Russia moves to significantly strengthen its military presence in Ukraine, in a clear prelude to a new offensive in the east of the country. Nehammer’s trip is the first face-to-face meeting between Putin and a European leader since the Russian invasion began six weeks ago and is in danger of breaking with a hitherto united front from Europe, the US and the United States. their allies to present Moscow as diplomatically isolated. of his aggression. In a statement after the talks, Nehammer said he felt it was his “duty” to fly to Moscow and “leave no stone unturned.” “It’s not a friendly visit. “I just came from Ukraine and saw with my own eyes the countless sufferings caused by the Russian offensive war,” he said.

Nehammer briefed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel, as well as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on his planned visit. Austrian diplomatic sources said they had no illusions about the prospect of the chancellor’s mission succeeding, but considered it necessary because of Austria’s unique relationship with Russia. Austria, which is not a NATO member and is officially neutral under its constitution, has long sought to act as a bridge between European and Russian interests, largely because of its historical ties with Moscow. No other European leader was politically motivated to make the trip, a diplomat said, referring to the French election. Following the instructions of Austrian officials, no photos were taken of the meeting and no press conference was held with Putin, due to concerns that the Kremlin would use it as propaganda. Nehamer said he had been directly confronted with Putin for war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine and said those responsible should be held accountable. He told Putin there was no way to “win” the conflict and urged him to step down. “I also told President Putin without hesitation that sanctions against Russia would remain in place and would continue to be tightened as people continue to die in Ukraine. “The EU is more united than ever on this issue,” he said. Nehamer felt it was important to pass on harsh truths to Putin “face to face,” said an Austrian diplomat who said the Russian leader was living in an information bubble. The Austrian chancellor did not provide a reading of the Russian response to the chancellor’s move, but a member of the delegation said Putin had repeatedly complained historically about Western involvement in Russian affairs. Putin refused to refer to the conflict as a “war,” they added, and said allegations of atrocities against civilians in Bhutan were a “provocation” by Ukraine. The Russian leader acknowledged the damage caused by sanctions to the economy, but said resolving the Donbas conflict to his satisfaction was a top priority.