Remaining in Style: Russia Rules Out Leaving OSCE

Russia views the OSCE as a platform for dialogue and will not leave the organization, even though it is not fulfilling its functions, a high-ranking source told Izvestia. At the same time, the Russian parliamentarians interviewed acknowledge that relations between Moscow and the OSCE are in a deplorable state. Nevertheless, it is the “only island” remaining for organizing dialogue with Europe, since there are virtually no contacts between NATO and the EU, experts say. Izvestia reports on why Russia continues to be a member of the OSCE and on Moscow’s attempts to create an alternative structure in Eurasia.

Russia retains OSCE membership

Despite its dissatisfaction with the work of the OSCE, Russia does not plan to leave the organization, a high-ranking source told Izvestia.

– Moscow does not plan to leave the OSCE. Yes, indeed, this periodically comes up, but we need a platform for dialogue. Moreover, we take into account the position of our strategic partners, who are also members of this organization. We do not want to make such a demarche. At the same time, everyone understands that the OSCE is losing its position as an organization. Look at its main functionaries with expired powers, – he noted.

Another Izvestia source familiar with the situation noted that Russia, despite the systematic oppression of the country in the OSCE, plans to take part in the next meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the OSCE countries, which will take place on December 5-6 in Malta. He added that the host side assured that it will provide all members with equal conditions for work there.

Russia has accumulated many complaints against the OSCE. As early as 2004, a statement of the CIS countries was adopted in Moscow, accusing the organization of “the practice of double standards, selective approaches and unwillingness to take into account the realities and characteristics of individual states.” Since the beginning of the work of the OSCE monitoring mission in Ukraine in 2014, the Russian Federation has also accused the organization of using double standards when it came to the problem of human rights in that country.

After Moscow recognized the independence of the LPR and DPR, Russia, as an OSCE member state, did not support the extension of the mission’s mandate and its staff left the territory of Ukraine . Moscow noted that the biased work of the mission created an image of “blind and deaf” observers and damaged the reputation of the OSCE as a whole. Moreover, facts were subsequently revealed of the use of the mission’s equipment to track the movement of the armed forces of the Donbass republics and adjust fire by Ukrainian troops.