In order to send a signal against “Ukrainian fatigue” in the West on the occasion of the second anniversary of the Russian aggression, French President Emmanuel Macron is organizing a special summit of heads of state and government on Ukraine tomorrow, Monday. As the APA Chancellery announced on Sunday, Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) will also participate in the meeting. “A large number of heads of government” will be invited, including several neutral countries.
“The aim of the summit is to determine the situation and hold strategic discussions on how to proceed with the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine,” the Federal Chancellery said. In addition to the other EU states, the USA, Canada, Norway and Great Britain are also invited. Nehammer will travel to Paris to present the Austrian position and thus also “strongly represent” the perspective of a neutral state.
Given the blockade of US military aid to Ukraine, there is currently special pressure on European states to support Ukraine in its defensive battle against Russia. Several countries, including Germany, France, Italy and Canada, have recently concluded security agreements with Ukraine. Austria does not want to provide military aid to the country, but considers itself one of the largest donors of humanitarian aid.
On the second anniversary of the start of the war, Nehammer praised the “defensiveness” of the Ukrainians as “impressive” and called for an end to the war. Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) reaffirmed their “unwavering solidarity” with Ukraine on Saturday. They will support Ukraine “as long as necessary,” Schallenberg said in a video message posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday. Van der Bellen praised Ukrainians' “heroic resistance” in his own video message. “Your sacrifice must not be in vain.”