Ukraine wants Austria to play a leading role in humanitarian aid
Published: Tuesday, Mar 19th 2024, 06:40
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Ukraine would like Austria to play a leading role in providing humanitarian aid to the country attacked by Russia. "Of course Ukraine needs weapons, it needs ammunition. But the humanitarian component is just as important," said Ukrainian parliamentary speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk in an interview with APA. He was in Vienna for a conference on the EU Strategy for the Danube Region.
Stefanchuk explained that he had spoken to all his Austrian interlocutors about a possible leadership role for Austria in the humanitarian field. In Vienna, he met with President Alexander Van der Bellen and Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler, among others. Ukraine needs support in areas such as technology, demining, the reconstruction of schools, the production of prostheses for wounded civilians and rehabilitation measures. "Here we would like Austria to take on a leading role in an international coalition to coordinate humanitarian aid," said Stefanchuk.
As in his speech in the Austrian parliament in June 2022, Stefanchuk was still convinced of Ukraine's victory two years later. "Yes, Ukraine will win. We are paying an extremely high price for it: We are paying with the lives of our best sons and daughters and we understand that we will have a very hard time without the support of other countries."
Stefanchuk: Escalation rhetoric is intimidation
Stefanchuk does not believe that an escalation of the war is imminent. Russian President Vladimir "Putin always threatens escalation". However, the use of nuclear weapons would be a "Pandora's box that would destroy the Russian Federation itself". He therefore believes that Putin's "escalation rhetoric is just an attempt at intimidation". Putin wants to freeze the conflict. "We must not allow that under any circumstances, because that would mean passing this conflict on to our children," warned Stefanchuk.
At the same time, Stefanchuk was convinced: "Ukraine will not be his last target." Putin has very "powerful instruments in his hands": propaganda, the energy sector and corrupting countries.
Ukraine and Austria - a neutral state like Switzerland - are among the countries in the EU Danube Region Strategy. The Danube, which has always been a "water artery", has become a "survival route" for Ukraine, explained Stefanchuk. More than 90 percent of grain is transported by sea and river. "This is vital for us, we use the proceeds to finance our resistance."
©Keystone/SDA
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