During the Russia-Ukraine War, allegations that Russia committed many war crimes were frequently brought up. This is the first time Putin has met with a European leader since his invasion of Ukraine began. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reaction to Western criticism of war crimes was chilling, after meeting with Austrian Prime Minister Karl Nehammer in Moscow last week.
”NOT FRIENDLY AND PEACEFUL”
Nehammer stated that the meeting was not very friendly and peaceful. The statesman who visited Bucha, where many civilians were allegedly murdered during his visit to Ukraine, went to Russia days after his trip, stating that he wanted to confront President Putin about what he saw in Ukraine.
DOES NOT TRUST THE WEST
Nehammer also mentioned the great loss of the Russian army during the meeting, which angered the Russian statesman. The leader, who told Putin that he saw both war crimes and the losses of the Russian army, stated that he also drew attention to the need for human corridors. In response, he added that Putin said on the one hand that he would cooperate with an international investigation, on the other hand, he did not trust the Western world.
CORRECT IN ITS OWN WAR LOGIC
Later in the interview, he stated that he believes Putin has won the war and that the Russian leader is moving towards “his own logic of war” against Ukraine.
Nehammer also reiterated his concerns that Putin might turn to nuclear weapons to continue on in Ukraine, saying, “He knows he has this weapon and he knows the threat of this weapon. So I don’t know if he will really use it.”