Selenskyj in Vienna: Historical visit and peace discussions in focus!

Selenskyj in Vienna: Historical visit and peace discussions in focus!

Wien, Österreich - On June 16, 2025, Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj in Vienna is expected, his first visit to Austria since the beginning of the war. Preparations for this surprising visit are already in full swing. A joint press conference of the heads of state is planned for 3:00 p.m. During his stay, Selenskyj will meet with Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) and representatives of the economy.

Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger (NEOS) will collect Selenskyj from the airport, while Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler (SPÖ) receives him for a job interview. In this conversation, Austria is to be offered as a location for possible peace negotiations. The delegation under the direction of Selenskyj comprises several ministers, including Foreign Minister Andrij Sibyha. The signing of bilateral memorands of understanding and declarations of intentions is also planned

Selenskyj's participation in important events

Selenskyj will also take part in the first ladies and gentlemen Summit in the Hofburg, where he will meet other international guests. The participants of the summit include Suzanne Innes-Stubb from Finland, Aleš Musar from Slovenia and Lucrecia Peinando from Guatemala. The host of the Summit, Doris Schmidauer, has been conducting this event on the initiative of Selenskyjs since 2021.

However, the visit is not without criticism. The FPÖ has sharp criticism and has submitted an urgent request to Federal Chancellor Stocker. In the context of the Ukraine War, Selenskyj will take part in the G7 summit in Canada, which takes place from Sunday to Tuesday. It is noteworthy that Austria, Slovenia and Cyprus are the last EU countries that Selenskyj has not yet visited.

Austria's role and aid actions

Austria has mobilized around 327 million euros in help for Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict. The costs for the reconstruction of the war -ramified Ukraine are estimated at 500 billion euros. Even in economic terms, more than 200 Austrian companies are active in Ukraine.

In view of the fragile situation in the Ukraine War, which is further intensified by increasing drone attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces on Russia, peace negotiations are currently not in sight. However, an exchange of 500 prisoners is expected in the near future. Austria continues to believe that as a neutral country it can contribute to peace. Foreign Minister Meinl-Reisinger has therefore applied for a seat in the UN Security Council.

Selenskyj has so far turned to Austrian politics and population. Before the encounters on June 16, there is already a space lock on Heldenplatz, which comes into force from 9:00 a.m. Two rallies are planned, one to support Ukraine and a visit to the Ukrainian president. Wolfgang Katzian expressed concern about the repressive measures of the Ukrainian government towards unions, which is also discussed in the current political debate.

In recent years, Selenskyj has formulated various peace plans and suggestions for the end of the conflict. Among other things, Ukraine, security guarantees and the restoration of territorial integrity undertook. These requirements are part of Selenskyj's ten-point peace plan, which also requires the resignation of weapons and the withdrawal of Russian troops.

Selenskyj's upcoming visit to Austria comes at a critical time at which international support and approaches are of the utmost importance to end conflicts. All the more, it will be observed what results his conversations will bring in Vienna.

For further details on the topics related to the Ukraine conflict and Selenskyjs Visit, see also Kleine Zeitung, Today and [bpb.de] (https://www.bpb.de/themen/europa/ukraine-analysen/nr-306/5567777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777