Zelenskyj in Vienna: Austria as a mediator for abducted children?

Zelenskyj in Vienna: Austria as a mediator for abducted children?

What a visit! On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky came to Vienna to discuss the return of Ukrainian children kidnapped in Russia. During his meeting with the Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, the focus was not only on the repatriation of these children, but also on Austria's support for Ukraine in the critical time of the war. Zelenskyj mentioned the possibility of Austria mediating the repatriation of the abducted children and emphasized the country's important role as a neutral actor.

“Austria has already provided us with valuable help,” said Zelensky, referring to the humanitarian support of 320 million euros that has been mobilized since the beginning of the war. Although Austria is not a NATO member, it sees itself as an active supporter of Ukraine and uses its neutral position to mediate for peace. Van der Bellen reiterated that Austria is not politically neutral, but is firmly behind Ukraine and is actively committed to finding a solution.

Focus on returning kidnapped children

The children in question were all abducted on a shocking scale - over 20,000 cases have been documented. What is particularly alarming is the fact that up to 2,000 children whose whereabouts are unknown have not yet been repatriated. This was emphasized by Gudrun Kugler from the ÖVP, who addressed the problem of the “Russification” of these children and the associated trauma. The National Council has now approved a motion for a resolution to encourage Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg to advocate internationally for the repatriation of the children.

A joint meeting between Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger with Zelensky and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha made Austria's determination to support Ukrainian concerns clear. A declaration of intent was signed here and political cooperation and the return of children abducted by Russia were discussed. Meinl-Reisinger assured that Ukraine could count on Austria's support.

Humanitarian aid and reconstruction

In addition to repatriating the children, Austria is also striving to help deal with the war damage in Ukraine. Initiatives for psychosocial care, educational projects and the restoration of a safe infrastructure are part of the plan. Because one thing is clear: the need for comprehensive support after the war is great. Help is also flowing in a variety of forms from the federal states, private initiatives and companies.

This probably also applies to Austria's planned participation in the upcoming donor conference for Ukraine. Zelensky's visit to Vienna comes shortly before his appearance at the G7 summit in Canada, where support for Ukraine is expected to be further strengthened. Heads of state and government are increasing pressure on Russia to end the aggression.

It seems that Austria has a good hand when it comes to acting on a diplomatic and humanitarian level. These events demonstrate once again that despite the challenges and crises, the will to help and cooperate always remains. Austria is ready to increase its support and work for the return of the abducted children and for a peaceful solution to the conflict. You can find out more about this in the reports from star, parliament and Vienna.at.