Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. Photo: Retrieved from Nehamer’s Twitter.
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has been condemned by the international community. Austrian Prime Minister Karl Nehammer met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 11th, becoming the first European leader to meet Putin since the outbreak of the Ukraine war. Nehamer later told NBC in an exclusive interview that Putin was “completely living in his own world.” He said that Putin knew what was happening in Ukraine right now, and he believed he was winning this victory. .
In an exclusive interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Nehamer revealed how he met Putin and how he felt about the meeting. Nehamer mentioned that he and Putin were sitting at a long table when they met; the Kremlin required an on-site PCR test to have physical contact with Putin. Shake hands, and he wasn’t expecting such a friendly gesture.
Nehamer pointed out that Putin had his own logic of war, and Putin felt that this “special military operation” was necessary for the Russian Federation for the sake of geopolitical security; Putin did not believe the international community and accused Ukraine of fighting in the Udondonbass. genocide in the Donbas region. Putin now lives in his own world, but he is well aware of what is happening on Ukrainian soil. Putin acknowledged that Western sanctions were a big problem for Russia and knew it could threaten the world with nuclear weapons.
Nehamer was asked if Putin felt “he was winning or losing” and replied that Putin believed he was winning the war, but Putin did not mention the situation or clarify what “victory” actually looked like. ; Putin clearly stated his concerns, and Putin finally told him in German: “It’s better to end earlier than later”, which made him think that Putin actually knew the Russian military’s military situation in Ukraine, so he used Western It is important to challenge Putin’s interpretation of the situation in Ukraine.
Nehamer said he made it clear to Putin at the time that he (Putin) had lost the war morally and that all those involved in war crimes must go to court in the future; as for Putin’s response to war crimes, Nehamer said: “He told me he would cooperate with international investigations, but on the one hand he told me that he did not trust the Western world, and that would be a problem… I tried to convince him, using Yugoslavia as an example, that international investigations would be useful in prosecuting war criminals,” Mo said. where.”
As for Austria’s permanent neutrality, Nehamer emphasized that neutrality has been deeply rooted in Austria for a long time, but it is military neutrality, not standing by when it sees a need to lend a hand. Austria provides Ukraine with protective equipment, supports sanctions against Russia, and is also willing to assist Ukraine’s reconstruction. Austria has shown Western solidarity with Ukraine; Austria, like Germany, is dependent on Russian gas, but this has gradually changed, and although it will take years, Austria will eventually wean itself off its dependence on Russian gas.