Klimkin, Kurz discuss prisoners of Kremlin, Interpol and Russian spies

Austrian Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has assured Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin of Vienna’s position regarding support for the sanctions policy against the Russian Federation until Russia fully implements the Minsk agreements.

Klimkin said this in a blitz interview with Ukrinform during a working visit to Austria on November 21.

“Sebastian Kurz assured that Austria’s position on this issue is absolutely consistent. First, full implementation of the Minsk agreements, and then – talk about sanctions,” Klimkin said, commenting on the discussion with the Austrian chancellor of the EU sanctions against the Russian Federation.

According to the foreign minister, the way the Austrian presidency will contribute to the EU’s coordinated actions against Russian aggression is important for Ukraine.

“We discussed the situation in Donbas and in the occupied Crimea… Together with Sebastian Kurz, we visited Donbas on January 2 of last year. He always paid special attention to the situation in Ukraine," the minister commented on a meeting with Kurz.

In addition, the parties discussed the issue of the release of Ukrainian political prisoners in the Russian Federation and how Austria can help in this matter.

“We talked about the relations between the EU as a whole and Austria in particular in the context of the fact that Russia is waging a consistent hybrid war, including against Austria, because Russian spies have been recently discovered here. During the meeting, we discussed almost everything, in particular, coordinated actions to vote on the new head of Interpol. Everything ended well today," Klimkin added.

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