Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said on Monday he had "direct, frank and difficult" talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the first visit by a Western leader to Russia since the start of the Russian war on Ukraine on Feb. 24.
In a statement after the meeting between the Austrian chancellor and the Russian president, Nehammer said talks with Putin were "very direct and difficult," adding that he did not come out optimistic about the meeting.
The Austrian chancellor stated that the most important message he sent to Putin is that the war in Ukraine must end because "in the war there are only losers on both sides", as well as the need to investigate war crimes committed on Ukrainian soil, and hold those responsible to account.
A spokesman for Nehamer said - on Monday afternoon - that the meeting took place at Putin's official residence in Novo Ogaryovo outside Moscow, and the spokesman added that the talks between Putin and Nehamer ended after about 75 minutes.
The Kremlin's statements
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Austrian side requested that the meeting between Nehamer and Putin be behind closed doors, and there were no details from Moscow about what transpired in the meeting or any comment on the meeting.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Austrian side requested that the meeting between Nehamer and Putin be behind closed doors.
Before his visit to Russia, the Austrian chancellor arrived - on Saturday - in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, and expressed his country's support for Ukraine.
Nehamer expressed solidarity with Ukraine after Russia launched the war on its neighbor, and denounced "war crimes", while the Austrian government joined other European Union countries in expelling Russian diplomats, which included only a small part of the large Russian diplomatic presence in Vienna.
Austria generally maintains closer relations with Moscow than most European Union countries, and imports 80% of its natural gas needs from Russia.
While the German chancellor welcomed his Austrian counterpart's visit to Moscow, the left-wing Green Party - which is part of Austria's ruling coalition - criticized Neihamer's visit to Moscow.
"I can't overlook Putin's visit. It has nothing to do with diplomacy. This is also not an agreed roadmap for negotiations. Rather, Putin will use it in his propaganda," said Eva Ernst Djicz, the Green Party's foreign affairs spokeswoman.