Austria is firmly alongside Ukraine: Support guaranteed!

Austria is firmly alongside Ukraine: Support guaranteed!

At a current press conference, Austria's Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen reaffirmed his support for Ukraine and praised the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj. He emphasized that the people in Ukraine fight for their freedom and no longer want to be subject to Russia. Van der Bellen emphasized that the struggle of Ukraine is not only important for its value system, but for all of Europe. At the same time, he addressed an urgent appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war and create peace, which, however, was not possible without Russia. As a memory of the causes of the conflict, the two politicians refer to Russian aggression, which began with the invasion on February 24, 2022.

When asked about the Austrian neutrality, van der Bellen recommended that the 1955 neutrality law in 1955. Following the press conference, Selenskyj also met with the Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP), who again confirmed Austria's unmistakable support for Ukraine. Stocker found that all people, especially in Ukraine, want an end to the war and emphasized the Austrian support for initiatives that are supposed to bring about just peace and an armistice.

European support and auxiliary measures

In a larger context, the aid for Ukraine has increased significantly in recent months. According to a current report by the Kiel Institute for the global economy, Europe has closed a financing gap that has arisen from new US aids. In the period from March and April 2025, European countries increased their support, so that a total of 10.4 billion euros in military aid and 9.8 billion euros in financial aid were promised. This represents the largest two-month value since the beginning of the war and shows a clear increase that exceeds the United States as a whole (72 billion euros vs. 65 billion euros).

The new role of Europe as the main supporter of Ukraine remains questionable, as it is unclear whether this increase will be temporary or sustainable. The Nordic states and Great Britain, which take a leading role in this context, are particularly noteworthy.

Austria's commitment as part of the European result

Austria's commitment in the context of European support is an important part of the efforts to assist Ukraine in its difficult time. The president and the Chancellor have jointly confirmed their determination to support, and the cooperation within Europe shows the urgency to end this conflict and to find sustainable solutions. Further information on the support of Austria can be found at SPIEGEL .