However, intensive work is being done to diversify natural gas imports, and above all to reduce this dependency by expanding sustainable energy production in Austria, said the Chancellor on Tuesday at a meeting of the crisis cabinet in the Federal Ministry of Defense. “Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen overnight.”
Video: How far can the EU go with its sanctions and where are the peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow leading? OÖN-TV talked about it with OÖN Weltspiegel editor, Eike-Clemens Kullmann.
Humanitarian Aid and Diplomacy
“The horrible images that reach us day after day from Ukraine are horrific and shocking. It is our duty, in the spirit of humanity, to stand by the Ukrainian people and the displaced people. Austria will continue to provide humanitarian aid and we will do diplomatic work the way for peace,” emphasized Nehammer, according to a statement by the Federal Chancellery on Tuesday evening.
“We will not allow ourselves to be divided in our stance on this war, neither at national nor at European level. Austria’s and Europe’s commitment to peace in Ukraine is and will remain a joint mission,” the Chancellor continued.
In addition to members of the federal government, the group of participants in the crisis cabinet on Tuesday also included representatives of the intelligence services and the clubs of the parliamentary parties. Nehammmer also informed about his upcoming trip to Ukraine in the next few days. Among other things, he will meet the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj.
The status of the energy supply was also an important part of the deliberations. Austria is one of the countries with a high dependence on Russian natural gas, around 80 percent of the natural gas consumed in this country currently comes from the Russian Federation.
48,000 refugees registered
Topics also included current developments in the area of refugee movements, the effects of the war on the energy market and humanitarian aid for local people. So far, Austria has provided 17.5 million euros from the foreign disaster fund and delivered 10,000 protective helmets and over 9,100 protective vests for civilian emergency services. So far, around 244,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Austria, and a large proportion of the displaced people continue to travel to other European countries. Around 48,000 people have registered in Austria so far.
Source: Nachrichten
