Austria offers to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks, Chancellor Nehammer says

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced on Thursday that Vienna is prepared to serve as a venue for peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, following remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin about potential talks.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy greets Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer (R) as they arrive for a family photo during a European Council in Brussels, Belgium, 27 June 2024.

EPA/OLIVIER MATTHYS

Nehammer’s offer came after Putin stated on Thursday that Moscow "has never refused to negotiate" and suggested that peace discussions should be based on the Istanbul documents. Ukraine and Russia previously held negotiations in Istanbul in 2022, but the talks did not yield any results.

We take note of the Russian president’s statements regarding his openness for peace talks with Ukraine. Any negotiations must take place without preconditions and at eye level. Austria will be ready to support a just and lasting peace based on international law and to serve as…

— Karl Nehammer (@karlnehammer) September 5, 2024

"Any negotiations must take place without preconditions and on equal terms. Austria is ready to support a just and lasting peace based on international law and is willing to host the talks as the seat of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe)," Nehammer wrote on X.

In June, Putin outlined conditions for peace talks, which included the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, the recognition of Russia’s illegal annexation of these regions, and Ukraine abandoning its ambition to join NATO. These terms were firmly rejected by Kyiv.

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Source: Kyiv Independent