Copyright © 2021 Euromaidanpress.com

The work of Euromaidan Press is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation

When referencing our materials, please include an active hyperlink to the Euromaidan Press material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. To reprint anything longer, written permission must be acquired from [email protected].

Privacy and Cookie Policies.

The awkward role of the OSCE in Ukraine

Article by: Nicole Gallina

There was a lot of clapping last week as Switzerland ended its OSCE-chairmanship and praised its role in Ukraine.

Sadly, there is practically zero objection in the public (and most notably German-speaking media) to those disputable claims.

Some facts on the “security” mission:

  1. The OSCE has been able to control two border crossings on the uncontrolled 400kmlong Ukrainian-Russian border strip, some 40 Meters.
  2. Russia has prevented more observers on the border and also prevented observers to travel there. The OSCE-coordinator for border questions is Alexej Lyzhenkov, a former official in the Russian foreign ministry
  3. Russia thus has been able to get all its heavy artillery, tanks, special forces, regular troops and volunteers etc. to the current cease-fire line (see sprotyv.info, the Interpreter and Conflict Reporter)
  4. Russia has been able to storm selected targets on almost a daily basis, most notably theDonetsk airport
  5. In some areas, the front has been shifted a few dozen kilometers to the west after 5 September 2014 (compare the maps of Ukrainian gains and losses from the NSDC or the Interpreter)
  6. The OSCE has not been able to enforce the cease-fire provision to control the border and the cease-fire with its drones. They finally were delivered in mid-October (six weeks after the “cease-fire”), but have practically not been used as the occupying forceshave shot at them
  7. OSCE-symbols have been misused by the occupying forces
  8. President Poroshenko claimed that out of 270 observers, only 90 are in eastern Ukraine – we do not know where the rest is (in Kyiv?)
  9. The OSCE has reportedly passed on military information to the Russian side
  10. The OSCE-mission near Mariupol has reportedly passed on military information to the Russian side (one Ukrainian adviser claimed 80% of those in the mission had a Russian  background)
  11. The OSCE has published reports discrediting Ukraine (i.e. shelling a Donetsk school – the shells most probably came from the occupying forces)
  12. Ukrainian soldiers have claimed they were shelled after visits of the OSCE.
  13. The mission largely exludes Ukraine. Ukraine is not allowed to have representatives in the mission – instead it favors the aggressor: Russia. The country has representatives in its own country contingent (10%) and potentially in the contingents of other post-Soviet, eastern European, and German-speaking countries. The OSCE has not published a list on how the mission is combined (they only stated that they prefer “Russian-speaking“)
  14. Propaganda is essential to the Russian side. OSCE’s ‚senior press assistant‘ Irina Gudyma is a Russian national
  15. The OSCE-representative for the issue of human trafficking Kazakhstan’s Madina Jarbusynova, used an appearance on Ukrainian TV to spread a false claim by the Russian state media of Ukrainian atrocities including “organ-trafficking”

What have been the advantages for Ukraine of the OSCE being there?

Next, the OSCE-chairmanship is going to Serbia that has not supported the western sanctions and has a clear pro-Russian line – hightime to kindly ask the OSCE to leave Ukraine!

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!
Total
0
Shares
Related Posts

January 3: More military from the Russian Federation have been arriving in Luhansk region

Maidan Community Sector, Lviv: Dear friends!

January 3 – No Ukrainian military have died; one was wounded in the ATO area in the last 24 hours, – informed NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko.

January 3 – Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement that Foreign Ministers of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France insist on urgent meeting of the Contact Group to resolve the situation in Donbas.

January 3 – The lowest price for WTI and Brent oil in the last 5.5 years was recorded on Saturday.

January 3 – More military from the Russian Federation have been arriving in Luhansk region; attempts are being made to establish a single operations center over all terrorist groups of Luhansk region, – stated NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko – the National Security Council spokesman Andrei Lysenko.

January 3 – At night and in the morning the terrorists were attacking the positions held by "Azov" regiment near the village of Telmanove, attempting a breakthrough.

January 3 – One of the main priorities for 2015 is a high-principled, consistent and effective fight against corruption, – said the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko during his meeting with Giovanni Kessler, Director-General of European Anti-Fraud Office.

January 3 – Travel for citizens across frontline in the ATO area will be restricted significantly – 7 transport corridors will be created and all other transport ways will be blocked, stated NSDC Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov (similarly to Gaza and Israel). According to Turchynov, movement restrictions in the ATO area are being implemented in order to carry out comprehensive counter-terrorist activity. All vehicles and individuals will be meticulously checked.

January 3 – Part of the strategy of RF President Volodymyr Putin regarding the Ukrainian conflict is "unquestionably, also the attempt to influence public opinion in Russia itself, in Ukraine, and in Germany – including using the assistance of propaganda and the manipulation of thoughts."

This was stated by the Head of the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the Bundestag, the deputy from the Christian-Democratic Union, Norbert Rettgen, in an interview in the publication Tagesspiegel. In view of this, he urged all to be more careful in having to deal with such acts of Kremlin. "We in Germany, have not even begun a discussion regarding this propaganda, much less even to consider our reply," noted the Head of the Bundestag Committee. The German politician turned attention to the fact that journalists of the public tv-radio companies of the Federal Republic of Germany, "who work on the materials from Eastern Ukraine and directly talk about the participation of Russia in events there", are under enormous pressure. This needs to be talked about, believes Rettgen. "When there exists an awareness of this hidden, organized influence on public thought, it ceases to attain its function," said he.

Savchenko on day 21 of hunger strike

P.S.: Please spread this appeal as much as possible.