Selenskyj visiting Vienna: Police operation without bleaching!

Ukrainischer Präsident Selenskyj besucht Wien am 16. Juni 2025, begleitet von strengen Sicherheitsmaßnahmen in der Innere Stadt.
Ukrainian President Selenskyj visits Vienna on June 16, 2025, accompanied by strict security measures in the inner city. (Symbolbild/MW)

Selenskyj visiting Vienna: Police operation without bleaching!

On Monday, June 16, 2025, Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj and his wife Olena Selenska landed at Vienna-Schwechat Airport. The visit came unexpectedly and was accompanied by extensive safety precautions. An impressive police scale led the presidential couple to the inner city of Vienna. Above all, the special units such as Cobra and Wega were in use to secure central places in the city, while the airspace was monitored by helicopter, such as Meinbezirk.at reported.

The security measures could not be overlooked and meant that large parts of the downtown Vienna, including the heroic square, were completely sealed off. From 9 a.m., access was closed to the public, and the surrounding areas such as Michaelertor, Kohlmarkt and the Burgtheater were also affected. Due to the security situation, restrictions in public transport were also necessary, so that many Viennese had to reschedule their paths. This measure was described by the police as a "all-day space lock", and the police contingent has been one of the largest security operations in the city for many years, such as determined.

reception and discussions in the Hofburg

After the arrival, the presidential couple in the Hofburg were received with military honor. Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and First Lady Doris Schmidauer warmly welcomed the two, while the Gardemusik played the national anthems of Austria and Ukraine. As a result, bilateral conversations in four and eight-eye format were on the program, to which, in addition to Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Minister of Economics Karl Hattmannsdorfer and Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler were invited.

Vice Chancellor Babler at the same time offered Austria as a location for future peace negotiations and emphasized the role of the country in the geopolitical landscape. A joint press conference of the delegations was scheduled for 3 p.m., whereby five declarations of intent should be signed. The topics ranged from security policy cooperation to the protection of children in crisis areas. A job interview between President Selenskyj and Chancellor Christian Stocker in the afternoon round.

protests and safety precautions

The state visit was not without controversy. Two demonstrations were scheduled for the day: one to support Ukraine, while the other was directed against President Selenskyj's visit. These rallies should take place in the inner city area, whereby the police set up a strong presence along the routes. For security reasons, there was no information about the exact number of participants and strategies, which also fueled the situation.

The security measures around the Hofburg and the Federal Chancellery remained upright by the evening when Selenskyj finally triumphed to Kiev. The Vienna National Library and the House of History remained closed throughout the visit, which illustrated the effects of state visit to everyday life in Vienna.

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OrtWien, Österreich
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