On 26 September, Wolfgang Sobotka, the President of the Austrian National Council, arrived in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, leading a delegation of Austrian deputies, European Pravda reported.
The delegation represented a spectrum of Austrian parliamentary parties, barring the far-right Freedom Party of Austria, which opposes assistance to Ukraine and its EU membership aspirations.
In his speech at the Verkhovna Rada, Sobotka assured Austria’s solidarity with Ukraine and continued support. He emphasized, “Austria has already supported the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian population, which has been particularly hard-hit by this war, with financial and humanitarian aid amounting to more than 152 million euros. We will continue to provide our humanitarian assistance as long as it is needed.”
PM Denys Shmyhal invited Austrian businesses to contribute to Ukraine’s demining efforts during his meeting with Sobotka.
“Humanitarian demining is one of the fundamental elements of reconstruction. We appreciate the help in the amount of 2 million euros for this direction,” Shmyhal said.
His discussions with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the “formula of peace” and Euro-integration. Zelenskyy thanked Sobotka for his “constant support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as our European aspirations.”
According to Der Standard, the discussions with Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk centered around the upcoming elections in Ukraine, considering many individuals are abroad, at the front, or in occupied territories.
Sobotka also visited Bucha and Irpin in Kyiv Oblast, areas afflicted by Russia’s initial full-scale invasion activities.
In a comment to Der Standard, Sobotka accentuated that the war should conclude with the return of all occupied territories, including Crimea, to Ukraine. He acknowledged Kyiv’s “very serious” efforts regarding reforms.
This visit marks Wolfgang Sobotka’s first to Ukraine, following a visit earlier in February this year by Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen.
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