Austrian chancellor meeting with Putin to share 'the reality' of the war


Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer will visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday in a face-to-face meeting Austria has positioned as an opportunity to send Putin "a very clear political message," and tell him "the truth" about the war in Ukraine, The Washington Post reports.
The sit-down will be Putin's first with a Western leader since the Kremlin officially mounted its invasion back in February, per the Post.
"It makes a difference to be face to face and tell him what the reality is: that this president has de facto lost the war morally," said Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"It should be in his own interest that someone tells him the truth," Schallenberg continued, per Reuters. "I think it is important and we owe it to ourselves if we want to save human lives."
Volodymyr Zelensky is aware of the trip, said Nehammer, who met with the Ukrainian President on Saturday. European Union leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michael, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have also been informed of the sit-down, per The Guardian.
Austria is calling for "humanitarian corridors, a ceasefire, and the full investigation of war crimes," The Guardian writes. The country is not a part of NATO.
The meeting arrives as Zelensky has warned Russia plans to shift its operations to eastern Ukraine, The Guardian notes. Last week, much of the international focus was on the carnage out of the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, discovered once Ukrainian forces retook the area. The bloodshed raised allegations of Russian war crimes.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
How will Trump's megabill affect you?
Today's Big Question Republicans have passed the 'big, beautiful bill' through Congress
-
Scientists are the latest 'refugees'
In the spotlight Brain drain to brain gain
-
5 dreamy books to dive into this July
The Week Recommends A 'politically charged' collection of essays, historical fiction goes sci-fi and more
-
How drone warfare works
The Explainer From Ukraine to Iran, it has become clear that unmanned aircraft are rapidly revolutionising modern warfare
-
How far would Russia go for Iran?
Today's Big Question US air strikes represent an 'embarrassment, provocation and opportunity' all rolled into one for Vladimir Putin
-
Are the UK and Russia already at war?
Today's Big Question Moscow has long been on a 'menacing' war footing with London, says leading UK defence adviser
-
Is UK's new defence plan transformational or too little, too late?
Today's Big Question Labour's 10-year strategy 'an exercise in tightly bounded ambition' already 'overshadowed by a row over money'
-
How will the MoD's new cyber command unit work?
Today's Big Question Defence secretary outlines plans to combat 'intensifying' threat of cyberattacks from hostile states such as Russia
-
What are the different types of nuclear weapons?
The Explainer Speculation mounts that post-war taboo on nuclear weapons could soon be shattered by use of 'battlefield' missiles
-
The secret lives of Russian saboteurs
Under The Radar Moscow is recruiting criminal agents to sow chaos and fear among its enemies
-
Ukraine-Russia: is peace deal possible after Easter truce?
Today's Big Question 'Decisive week' will tell if Putin's surprise move was cynical PR stunt or genuine step towards ending war