At a special meeting in Vienna, OSCE participating States unequivocally condemned Russian terror and reaffirmed their commitment to further support Ukraine. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga emphasised the solidarity of the international community despite Moscow's attempts at intimidation. Ukraine demanded the convening of urgent sessions of the UN Security Council and the OSCE following Russia's massive attacks.
Basic context
The OSCE participating States held a special joint meeting of the Forum for Security Co-operation and the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna at the request of Ukraine. Minister for Foreign Affairs Andriy Sibiga said that the meeting considered massive missile and drone attacks Russia against Ukraine, as well as the latest threats from Moscow.
Sibiga emphasised that “OSCE participating States have unequivocally condemned Russian terror and reaffirmed their strong commitment to further support Ukraine”. He also noted that the international community does not give in to Russia's attempts to intimidate Ukrainian diplomats.
The role of leadership and international support
The Minister expressed his gratitude to the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship and the Georgian Chairmanship of the Forum for Security and Co-operation for organising the meeting. He paid particular tribute to the personal leadership of Ignazio Cassisa and Maka Bochorishvili, He also thanked all the countries that have defended the UN Charter and the Helsinki principles.
According to Siberia, Following the latest massive attack by Russia, Ukraine demanded an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council and a joint meeting of the OSCE Forum. The Minister instructed Ukrainian missions to international organisations to use all multilateral instruments to the fullest extent possible in response to the missile attack on Kyiv.
Requirements for international organisations and consequences for the aggressor
Sibiga emphasised that UN, OSCE, Council of Europe and UNESCO should provide an adequate and decisive response to the aggressor, who is trying to compensate for the lack of military success on the battlefield with terror against the civilian population.
This meeting and the Minister's statements reflect the growing international condemnation of Russia's actions and the increased support for Ukraine at the diplomatic level. At the same time, it demonstrates the international community's shared willingness to put pressure on Russia to stop its terrorist acts.
Such steps are important to support Ukraine's sovereignty and create a legal framework for further action by international organisations in response to the aggression.
