Foreign ministers expected to issue rebuke towards Russia at OSCE meeting
Foreign ministers are expected to call for Ukraine and Russia to take steps to resolve the Kerch Strait incident, at today’s meeting of the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
OSCE Chair Italy will have to strike a balance between Ukraine and Russia and seek to use the group’s neutrality to facilitate de-escalation between the two-sides. However, any action by the organisation is expected to fall short of involving OSCE observers, which are already present in Eastern Ukraine. Instead, it will likely call for the return of captured Ukrainian naval officers—now held for 10 days. Foreign ministers and the OSCE leadership will stress that a successful resolution to the crisis is vital to the resolution of the broader conflict in Eastern Ukraine.
The spike in tensions between Kiev and Moscow is expected to quash any further talks on a prospective peacekeeper deployment in Donbas, be it under the Normandy Four dialogue or UN auspices. Expect the OSCE to issue a resolution calling for constructive dialogue, but a major intervention by the organisation is not anticipated.
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