Neutral Austria allocates €2 million for mine clearance in Ukraine after debate
Following a fierce debate, the Austrian government has announced funding for mine clearance equipment in Ukraine, totalling €2 million.
Source: Austrian news agency Ö24, as reported by European Pravda.
Details: Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has announced that Austria will allocate €2 million to the International Trust Fund (ITF). The funds for mine clearance equipment will come from the Foreign Emergency Relief Fund of the Austrian Foreign Ministry.
"Everything remains the same: no Austrian soldier will set foot on Ukrainian soil as long as it is a war zone. We will help with financial support for mine clearance," said Nehammer.
Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler explained that Austria is contributing to protection against life-threatening mine explosions and "helping to ensure that Ukrainian children can once again attend kindergartens and schools". "And we are strengthening food security by enabling farmers to work their fields again," Kogler said.
Background:
- Earlier, there was a debate in Austria over the allocation of these funds. Defence Minister Claudia Tanner opposed the state's participation in the mine clearance in Ukraine before the end of hostilities, considering it a violation of constitutional neutrality. Tanner believed that assistance in mine clearance should be provided only after the war was over.
- The opposition far-right Austrian Freedom Party also opposed any involvement of Austria in helping Ukraine with mine clearance.
- Instead, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen called for immediate assistance to Ukraine with humanitarian mine clearance.
- The Ukrainian side has previously asked Austria to help with mine clearance efforts. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this, among other things, during his address to members of the lower chamber of the Austrian parliament.
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