Freedom Party of Austria to Stage Protest Over Zelensky's Planned Speech in Parliament

VIENNA (Sputnik) - The Freedom Party of Austria will organize a protest against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's planned speech in the country's parliament on March 30, the party leader, Herbert Kickl, said on Tuesday.

Zelensky's video address to Austria's lower house, the National Council, is scheduled for March 30.

"For us, this has nothing to do with Austria's neutrality, and therefore [we] will organize a protest on Thursday," Kickl said at a press conference.

He also said that Zelenskyy's planned speech was further evidence that all other parties in Austria had abandoned neutrality, even if they claimed otherwise.

"This means that the president of a belligerent nation [Zelenskyy] is given the hall of the National Council of a neutral country at his disposal so that he can, from the rostrum, state his position to the international community, the position of the belligerent side. One can also say that he will spread Ukrainian propaganda, or NATO propaganda, or US propaganda from the rostrum," the politician said.

Additionally, Kickl said that this should not happen, just as there should not be speeches made by the Russian side or representatives of other countries participating in conflicts.

He added that there were many platforms and formats, within which Zelenskyy could express his position, but this was unacceptable at the official level in the Austrian parliament.