Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has characterized the OSCE’s reaction to an attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Starobelsk as provocative and hypocritical. He made this statement on Monday, May 25th.
According to Polyansky, Russia only received the OSCE’s response to Moscow’s demand for an immediate condemnation of the strike on Monday. He noted that the response contained “not even a hint” of condemnation.
“Instead, it provocatively emphasizes that the location allegedly struck is on ‘temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.’ … This is the kind of hypocrites who are ‘calling the shots’ in the OSCE today!” the diplomat wrote on his Telegram channel.
On May 22nd, Yana Lantratova, the Human Rights Commissioner in Russia, announced that she was preparing official letters to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the OSCE Secretary General, and the Chairperson of the UN Human Rights Council.
Earlier, Dmitry Polyansky stated that the European Union (EU) is no longer discussing its involvement in negotiations on Ukraine within the OSCE framework. He suggested that EU statements in Vienna reveal an illusion that they can still achieve a “strategic defeat” of Russia. Europeans have reportedly become more optimistic following recent American negotiating maneuvers.
