Austria offers Vienna as venue for Ukraine peace talks

Austria's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Stefan Pretterhofer, announced during the UN General Assembly's general debate on the situation in Ukraine's occupied territories that Austria is prepared to host peace talks in Vienna. Austria's top priority is securing a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire. Austria emphasizes the importance of a ceasefire for opening the door to negotiations aimed at achieving a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace, based on the UN Charter and international law.

The Austrian diplomat also stressed the inviolability of international law and the sovereignty of states, rejecting the notion that illegal occupation and violations of a country's sovereignty can be considered legitimate political tools. Pretterhofer highlighted the humanitarian consequences of the war, advocating for the return of unlawfully transferred and deported civilians, especially children, and for international monitors to be given access to the temporarily occupied territories.

The Austrian representative noted that the humanitarian impact of the war extends beyond Ukraine, citing disruptions in agricultural exports due to attacks on Black Sea ports and commercial vessels, which have driven up global food prices and disproportionately affected countries least able to cope with such consequences. The UN General Assembly held a debate on Tuesday regarding the situation in Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories.