Austrian MPs of pro-Russian, far-right party leave hall during Zelenskyy's video address

On March 30, lawmakers from the pro-Russian, far-right Svoboda party left the lower house of the Austrian parliament during a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

This was reported by The Guardian.

"Zelenskyy addressed the chamber via video link, thanking Austria for its humanitarian aid and help with projects such as clearing land mines," the media writes.

Austria emphasized that its position of neutrality does not allow it to intervene in conflicts, so it cannot send military weapons to fight Russia.

The Freedom Party (FPO) warned a few days before President Zelenskyy's speech that it would hold some form of protest. Its lawmakers were present at the beginning of the speech and then left.

The deputies who walked out of the chamber left signs on their desks that read "space for neutrality" and "space for peace."

"It is sad that the FPO is the only party in parliament that takes our ever-lasting neutrality seriously, thereby also standing up for peace," FPO leader Herbert Kickl said in a statement on Tuesday. 

Of the five parties in parliament, the FPO has the third-biggest number of seats in the lower house.