Ukraine and Baltic States Boycott OSCE Meeting Due to Russian Involvement

Ukraine and Baltic States Boycott OSCE Meeting Over Russian Participation

On November 28th, Ukraine along with the Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania announced their decision to boycott the upcoming Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which is scheduled to take place in North Macedonia later this week. This move came after Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov’s announcement of his participation in the meeting. The decision was made in protest against Lavrov’s attendance.

The OSCE, which consists of 57 participating countries, is set to hold its Council of Foreign Ministers between November 30th and December 1st in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. Lavrov expressed his intention to attend the meeting if Bulgaria, which is North Macedonia’s eastern neighbor, allows him to use its airspace. If Lavrov does attend, it will mark his first appearance at an OSCE meeting since the onset of the full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikolenko stated, “The Ukrainian delegation will not participate in the meeting of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers.” He cited Russia’s imprisonment of three Ukrainian OSCE representatives for 500 days as one of the reasons for the boycott and warned that Russian participation would only worsen the crisis Russia has imposed on the OSCE.

In a show of solidarity with Ukraine, the foreign ministers of the three Baltic states issued a joint statement announcing their decision to join the boycott. They expressed concern that Lavrov’s participation would legitimize Russia, an aggressor, as a member of the community of free states and downplay the serious crimes committed by Russia.

Despite the boycott, the US Secretary of State Blinken is expected to attend the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers meeting as scheduled. A State Department official affirmed that Blinken’s presence would demonstrate US solidarity with North Macedonia and other OSCE members.

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On the 28th, Ukraine and the three Baltic states, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania boycotted the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to be held in North Macedonia later this week on after Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov announced his participation, Then he announced. Picture taken on August 24 (2023 Reuters/Alet Pretorius)

[キーウ ２８日 ロイター] – Ukraine and the three Baltic states, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania announced on the 28th that Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov announced his participation in the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to held in North Macedonia within the week, a boycott was announced.

The OSCE, which has 57 participating countries, will hold its Council of Foreign Ministers between November 30th and December 1st in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. Foreign Minister Lavrov has stated that he will attend the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers if Bulgaria, North Macedonia’s neighbor to the east, opens its airspace to him. If Lavrov attends the OSCE meeting, it will be his first meeting since the start of the full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. See more

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikolenko said, “The Ukrainian delegation will not participate in the meeting of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers.” Noting that Russia had imprisoned three Ukrainian representatives of the OSCE for 500 days, he said, ` “If the Russian delegation takes part (in the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers), the crisis that Russia has imposed on the OSCE will only deepen.”.

In solidarity with Ukraine, the foreign ministers of the three Baltic states also issued a joint statement announcing a boycott of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers. The participation of Foreign Minister Lavrov “risks legitimizing Russia, an aggressor, as a legitimate member of the community of free states, and trivializing the heinous crimes that Russia has committed.”

US Secretary of State Blinken will attend the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers meeting as scheduled. A State Department official said Blinken’s appearance would show US solidarity with North Macedonia and other OSCE members.

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