On 18 May, Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal met a delegation of Ukrainian members of parliament to discuss the situation in the country in the wake of the Russian war of aggression. In the course of their meeting at the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary-General assured the delegation that Austria would continue to stand with Ukraine, and that the support Austria was currently providing would continue.
Through its Foreign Disaster Fund, Austria has released just over 60 million euros for humanitarian assistance for Ukraine so far this year. The funding is supporting the United Nations Refugee Agency, Caritas, the Red Cross and other Austrian and international NGOs and aid organizations. In addition, Austria is focusing on dealing with war crimes in connection with Russian aggression in Ukraine. In early May, the UN Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine began its work in Vienna. Similarly, Austria supports the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigations into Ukraine and has provided 100,000 euros to the ICC Prosecutor’s Office for this purpose.
There must be no impunity for atrocities. It must be clear to the perpetrators that they will be held accountable. Austria therefore supports the documentation and full prosecution of war crimes,
says Secretary General Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal.
The European perspective of Ukraine was also a topic at the meeting with the Ukrainian parliamentarians. Secretary General Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal referred to Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg’s proposal to reconsider cooperation between the EU and countries such as Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans in selected areas. Important steps would be to expand cooperation in the energy and security sectors as well as in the EU’s internal market in a targeted manner, thereby offering citizens concrete added value.
