Austrian opposition leader calls approval of $54Bln to Kiev 'betrayal'
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Kickl stated in his party's press release that through the approval, the federal Chancellor Nehammer has yet again "betrayed and sold Austrians and their hard-earned tax money to the EU altar in Brussels."
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Head of the opposition Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) Herbert Kickl at a press conference in Vienna on July 3, 2018 (AFP)
Herbert Kickl, the head of the opposition Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), called Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer's assent to the EU's proposed 50-billion-euro ($54 billion) assistance plan to Ukraine a "betrayal" on Friday.
European Union leaders unanimously decided to extend 50 billion euros ($54 billion) in additional funding to Ukraine on Thursday.
The accord overcame weeks of pushback from Hungary and comes amid uncertainties about the future of US funding. Kiev is highly reliant on Western help as the war enters its third year.
On Thursday, Orban finally agreed to the aid after getting guarantees that the help would be utilized wisely and would not come from EU money set aside for Budapest from the bloc's shared coffers.
Kickl stated in his party's press release that through the approval, the federal Chancellor Nehammer has yet again "betrayed and sold Austrians and their hard-earned tax money to the EU altar in Brussels."
Kickl expressed that Nehammer should have put the interests of his own people first and vetoed the decision since Austrians will ultimately join other EU nations in paying for the aid.
Most importantly, the opposition leader called Ukraine's financial situation a "bottomless pit," embroiled in corruption, citing that Austrian tax money should serve their own needs and " not on the interests of the EU elite."
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the news Thursday after he cautioned on Sunday that a reduction in aid from the United States to Kiev would convey a "negative message", highlighting the challenges faced by US President Joe Biden amid a Republican blockade on additional support.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed hope that the decision would be a "signal" for US President Joe Biden "who is working hard to win support for his demands from the Congress."
Ukraine's chief of staff warns Zelensky huge losses on the way: WashPo
While the EU continues to fund the losing battle for Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Friday that the Ukrainian armed forces lost more than 23,000 people in January, both dead and injured.
Following the failure of Ukraine's counteroffensive, Ukraine's army chief warned that the country must prepare itself for another year of significant casualties as the war with Russia nears its two-year mark later this month.
Valery Zaluzhny's comments came during talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had earlier told him that he would be sacked from his post, the Washington Post reported citing unnamed Ukrainian officials.
Tensions grew between Zelensky and Zaluzhny after the latter informed him that the field situation is at a "stalemate," a description that was strongly rejected by the president, The Economist reported.
According to The Washington Post, Zelensky summoned Zaluzhny earlier this week to notify him of his near dismissal.
The report mentioned that this decision came as Ukraine's leader saw the need for top-level changes amid declining Western support and a weary home front.
Zaluzhny told him that, regardless of who fills his position, it won't mean a quick improvement in Ukraine's battleground conditions, emphasizing the need to mobilize a further 400,000 reservists to maintain parity with Russian forces, the newspaper said.
But Zelensky refused the remarks, citing depleting financial support from allies - most notably the United States - and that this decision might politically backfire, especially as Kiev witnessed a series of corruption scandals in the past months.
