Ukraine’s Zelenskyy wins non-military backing from Austria ahead of meeting Trump about defense aid

VIENNA (AP) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy drew pledges of non-military help from neutral Austria on Monday, a day before he’s expected to press U.S. President Donald Trump for more military support in Ukraine’s fight against Russia.

The Ukrainian leader, in his first visit to Austria since the full-blown Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, wrote on Telegram that the two countries signed agreements on issues like de-mining, energy and cybersecurity after meetings involving President Alexander Van der Bellen and Chancellor Christian Stocker.

Zelenskyy is expected to attend the G7 summit that opens Monday in Canada, alongside Trump and other leaders of rich Western powers, and said one of the topics up for discussion would be a defense package that Ukraine is ready to buy from the United States.

"We will discuss it with him," Zelenskyy said. "I am sure we will have such opportunity, at least I count on it."

At a joint news conference, Van der Bellen alluded to Austria’s tradition of neutrality on military matters, but said his country was "by no means politically neutral" and sides with Ukraine in its defense against Russia - including through European Union sanctions against Moscow.

The Austrian leader, whose office is largely ceremonial, condemned Russia's aggression against Ukraine and called on the Kremlin to "end to this illegal war and start serious and honest negotiations.”

He pledged Austria’s support for EU sanctions and support with the reconstruction of Ukraine when the war ends.

There’s no immediate sign of that happening anytime soon. Earlier Monday, Ukraine's air force said Russia fired 138 strike and decoy drones at Ukraine overnight, mainly at the eastern Donetsk region. Of those, 125 were either intercepted or jammed, while 10 reached their targets. Eight others caused damage as falling debris.

Zelenskyy thanked Austria and its president for their "continuous support of Ukraine's just position in its fight for independence."

Alluding to talks over possible prisoner exchanges with Russia, Zelenskyy that Russian negotiators at one point had suggested exchanging Ukrainian children for captured Russian soldiers, which he called "madness."

"This is beyond comprehension, beyond international law, and, frankly, in line with (Russia’s) usual behavior," Zelenskyy said.

Austria is famously neutral - a stance it declared in 1955 after World War II - and Vienna has come under heavy criticism since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war for maintaining ties with Moscow.

Austria, which was annexed by Nazi Germany in the run-up to World War II, declared neutrality after the war under pressure from Western allies and the Soviet Union. It sought a role as a mediator between East and West, developing ties with Moscow that outlasted the Cold War.

The Austrian government has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine but also stressed the need to maintain diplomatic relations with Moscow. Vienna has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine but no weapons.

Former Chancellor Karl Nehammer was the first EU leader to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin face-to-face after the war started. Nehammer traveled to Moscow in April 2022 in a fruitless attempt to persuade the Russian leader to end the invasion.