OSCE ends mission in Eastern Ukraine

2022-04-29 07:42:52Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

OSCE ends mission in Eastern Ukraine

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which has been conducting an observation mission in eastern Ukraine for years, announced yesterday that it would have to end the long-term deployment.

The decision comes after Moscow, members of the group vetoed an extension of the mission, reports the BBC.

"This is not an easy decision to make… but the position of the Russian Federation left us with no choice but to take steps to close the mission," said OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau.

"The mission played a crucial role in providing objective information on the ground, facilitating ceasefires and working to mitigate the effects of the conflict on the civilian population," he added.

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has been in place since 2014, when the first conflict broke out between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed rebels. The OSCE was the only international organization to directly follow the conflict. 


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