Nehammer’s meeting would be the first face-to-face meeting between Putin and a European Union leader since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, sparking a broad Western effort to isolate Moscow. “I will meet Vladimir #Putin in Moscow tomorrow,” Nehamer wrote on Twitter on Sunday. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register “We are militarily neutral, but (we have) a clear position on Russia’s aggressive war against #Ukraine,” he wrote, referring to Austria’s position. “It must stop! It needs humanitarian corridors, a ceasefire and a full investigation into war crimes.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov confirmed to RIA Novosti that Putin would hold talks with Nehamer on Monday. The Russian leader has largely avoided Western leaders since the start of the conflict, although he met with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in the Kremlin in early March. read more Nehammer’s planned trip to Moscow comes after his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv on Saturday. Nehamer told reporters that during his visit to Moscow, he aimed to act as a “bridge builder” between Russia and Ukraine, hoping to “do everything possible to stop (the war)” and “ensure that “Steps are being taken towards peace,” the Austrian news agency APA reported. However, he added that the chances of making progress were slim, the APA reported. Neutral Austria provides humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as well as helmets and armor for civilians, not weapons. Nehamer, a conservative, is clearly moved by the phone conversations with Zelensky and says he wants to show support. Nehammer tweeted that he had briefed other “European partners” on his visit to Moscow, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Turkish President Tagip. Erdogan “and of course the Ukrainian president”. Zelensky. There has been criticism of his scheduled visit to some German media outlets, and at least one Ukrainian official. Sergei Orloff, deputy mayor of the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, told Germany’s Bild that such a visit was unacceptable at the moment. “The war crimes that Russia is currently committing on Ukrainian soil are still happening,” Orloff said during a televised address. “I do not understand how a conversation with Putin can be done at the moment, how a job can be done with him.” Russia has denied allegations that Ukraine and Western countries have committed war crimes. She said she was not targeting civilians during a “special operation” to demilitarize and “denationalize” her neighbor. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi Edited by Alex Richardson and Frances Kerry Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
