Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the results of negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, ORF reports citing the Austrian Federal Chancellery.
According to the channel, Nehammer told Zelensky that the meeting was not a “friendly visit.”
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking to the Lithuanian parliamentarians, said that some countries of the European Union still, while the war is unfolding in Ukraine, cannot decide on the timing when they will limit the use of Russian energy resources.
“The European Union is discussing the sixth package of sanctions against Russia for a war not seen since the Second World War. And it is still unknown whether oil will be under sanctions. Even after seeing the massacres in Bucha and other cities. Even knowing about the deportation of people, even watching deliberate destruction of peaceful cities by Russian missiles and air bombs, some EU countries cannot decide when they will, at least in essence, limit the purchase of Russian energy resources,” Zelensky said.
According to him, hundreds of European companies and banks not only still have not refused to work on the Russian market, but also demonstrate frank disrespect in response to the demand to stop financing the Russian military machine through taxes.
“And all this is happening right now, when the blood is still fresh. What this shows is that if only the sixth sanctions package began to seriously discuss oil, it means that the world does not understand what kind of war Russia was preparing for. If there is still no clear certainty on Russian gas, therefore, there can be no certainty that Europe has a common will to stop Russian war crimes, to force Russia into peace.If there are big European companies and big European banks that, even in the midst of hostilities in Ukraine, do not consider it necessary exit the Russian market, this means that all other companies take it as a signal: wait a bit, and then you can work as usual, even if nothing, in essence, changes in the behavior of Russia,” the president added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that the West could have prevented Russian aggression, but humoured Putin for a long time.
“Could the West have prevented this? I believe that there is a high percentage that they could have done this. I believe that Putin may not hear me. But he could not hear the United States, Great Britain or the Western world. The West was not united. They [in the West] are people of principle, they defend common values, but, first of all, they think about the political situation inside the state, and only then what is happening outside,” Zelensky said in an interview with the 60 Minutes program on the American CBS television channel, published on Monday by the President’s Office of Ukraine.
According to Zelensky, “they could put powerful pressure on Putin, and he would be forced to hear them.”
At the same time, Zelensky said that he has no legal claims against the leaders of NATO countries, however, in general, in his opinion, they are responsible.
“When you can close the sky… Yes, it is scary that the Third World War will start. It is scary, I understand it. I cannot put pressure on them every day, because everyone is afraid of war. But the world is responsible,” the president said.
“I saw the leaders of small countries with big hearts. Not everyone played down to Putin. But the one who has something to lose always flirts. Small Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia are countries with big hearts. Countries where major business is Germany always have a choice and difficulties, France, Italy, Portugal, where there are great interests, great trade, long historical relations, cultural ties, many people who emigrated with the capital of the Russian Empire went to Europe with their families. And therefore the influence there is great,” he said, noting that all of these countries tried not to spoil relations with Russia.
“No one wants to leave the comfort zone. And fighting Putin, supporting Ukraine, is leaving the comfort zone. Political, financial, and even risking a career, because a war may start. A financial crisis, people may not forgive,” Zelensky said.
At the same time, according to him, “there are less and less of these people every day.”
“The war in Ukraine, which separated our families, at the same time united us as a nation and united the West,” the head of state said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky during a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz discussed, in particular, anti-Russian sanctions, defense and financial support for Ukraine.
“Had a phone call with @OlafScholz. They stressed that all those responsible for war crimes must be identified and punished. We discussed anti-Russian sanctions, defense and financial support for Ukraine,” Zelensky tweeted.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on April 8, press secretary of the head of state Serhiy Nykyforov has said.
“There will be a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tomorrow. I can’t say the time for security reasons, but somewhere during the day,” Nykyforov said on the air of a nationwide telethon.
Earlier, the chief representative of the international organization, Eric Mamer, announced the visit of head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to Kyiv this week.
Together with Ursula von der Leyen, head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell will also visit Kyiv.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, suggested that he hold talks in Budapest with his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky, European media reported.
“The answer was yes, but the Russian president says he has certain conditions,” Orban was quoted as saying by the media.
According to them, Orban said that he also invited French President Emmanuel Marcon and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Hungary for talks.
In turn, Bloomberg reported that, in addition, during the conversation, the Hungarian Prime Minister spoke in favor of a ceasefire in Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg, Orban also said that he did not refuse cooperation with Russia in the nuclear field.
In addition, according to Euronews, when asked whether Hungary would pay Russia for gas in rubles, Orban replied that “paying in rubles will not be a problem for us.” “If the Russians want to be paid in rubles, we will pay in rubles,” the Hungarian prime minister said.
