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Transcript/Script
Russia Ukraine Austria
HEADLINE: After Talks With Putin, Austria Warns Russia Is Planning ‘Massive Offensive’
TEASER: Karl Nehammer is first Western leader to visit Moscow since start of invasion of Ukraine
PUBLISHED AT: 04/11/2022 at 8:11 pm
BYLINE: Henry Ridgwell
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: London
VIDEOGRAPHER: Henry Ridgwell
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Mia Bush, Holly Franko SR
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, APTN, Reuters, Teams
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 3:05
VID APPROVED BY: MPage
TYPE: VPKGN
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO))
[[Austria’s chancellor held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Monday, amid warnings that the Kremlin is preparing to launch a large offensive in the eastern Donbas region. Henry Ridgwell reports.]]
((NARRATOR))
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer is the first Western leader to visit Vladimir Putin since the Russian president launched the invasion of Ukraine in February.
He said the talks in Moscow were “very direct, open and tough.”
((Karl Nehammer, Austrian Chancellor (in German) ))
"I generally have no optimistic impression that I can report to you from this conversation with President Putin. The offensive (in eastern Ukraine) is evidently being prepared on a massive scale."
((NARRATOR))
Austria is not a member of NATO. But it has imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Russia alongside other European Union member states.
EU foreign ministers met in Luxembourg Monday to discuss further support for Ukraine. The bloc’s foreign policy chief said Russia’s invasion was causing food shortages.
((Josep Borrell, EU Foreign Policy Chief (in English) ))
“It is the Russian military which is causing food scarcity, and Africa is especially a source of major concern, because they are particularly exposed to the upcoming food crisis.”
((NARRATOR))
EU officials also held talks with Karim Khan, prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. The EU and the ICC have sent investigators to Ukraine to gather evidence.
((NARRATOR))
Ukraine says Russia has committed two-thousand war crimes on its territory – including civilian massacres in Bucha and other towns previously occupied by the Kremlin’s forces – as well as mass rapes and torture. Moscow denies the accusations despite the mounting evidence, including mass graves.
Russia is not a signatory to the ICC – and it will be difficult to prosecute individual war crimes on the battlefield, says international law expert Luis Viveros.
((Luis Viveros, University College London))
“There’s a lot of evidence on this, and that might happen. But we would have to see the ICC Office of the Prosecutor acting in a way that it hasn’t done in the past.”
((NARRATOR))
Vladimir Putin should face international justice, Viveros says.
((Luis Viveros, University College London))
“I think the way to get to him would be the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute the crime of aggression.”
((NARRATOR))
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to South Korean lawmakers Monday, warning that Russia is preparing a new offensive in the east.
((Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President (in Ukrainian) ))
“The occupiers concentrated tens of thousands of soldiers and a huge amount of equipment to try to strike again.”
((NARRATOR))
Meanwhile, Russia Monday warned Sweden and Finland against joining NATO. Both countries have held discussions about joining the alliance following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Washington said their applications for membership could be submitted as early as June.
((Henry Ridgwell, for VOA News, London.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
London
Embargo DateApril 11, 2022 21:43 EDT
Byline
((Henry Ridgwell, for VOA News, London.))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English