The first European leader to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the war in Ukraine began says the meeting was "not a friendly visit."
On Monday, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer met with Putin at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence near Moscow. As CNN reports, the two spoke for 75 minutes.
A statement provided by the Austrian leader's office following the talks quotes Nehammer as saying that "this is not a friendly visit. I have just come from Ukraine and have seen with my own eyes the immeasurable suffering caused by the Russian war of aggression."
Still speaking about his visit with Putin, the Chancellor adds that he "addressed the serious war crimes in Bucha and other places and emphasized that all those responsible for them must be held accountable. I also told President Putin in no uncertain terms that sanctions against Russia will remain in place and will continue to be tightened as long as people are dying in Ukraine."
Nehammer also raised the issue of evacuation corridors with Putin in light of the repeated reports of civilian attacks.
"I also made it clear to the Russian President that there is an urgent need for humanitarian corridors to bring drinking water and food to the besieged cities and to bring out women, children and the wounded," Nehammer's statement continued.
The Austrian leader mentioned that "a sense of responsibility to leave no stone unturned" motivated his meeting with Putin. "For me," he adds, "there is no alternative to seeking direct talks with Russia as well, despite all the very great differences."
After the meeting, Nehammer said in a briefing that he was not "particularly optimistic," adding that "the offensive (in Ukraine) is being prepared with determination."
While Nehammer doesn't expect Putin's views to change, he said it was essential to confront him "with the facts."
"What is important is a personal meeting. Phoning is one thing, but you really need to look each other in the eye; you need to talk about the cruelty of war," he added.
"Of course, when you talk to him for the first, second, third time, we can't expect him to change his view ... I didn't expect that. But it is important to confront President Vladimir Putin. Every day is a day too long in the war, every ... death is one too many.
"It was also clear and recognizable," Nehammer continued, "that [the] Russian president still has confidence" in ongoing negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey.
An Austrian official later told CNN that while Putin did not reply when Nehammer mentioned that Zelenskyy is ready and open for an in-person meeting with him, the impression Putin gave was that he was interested in continuing with the negotiations going on in Istanbul.