Confirmation of intentions to continue military pressure: Foreign Ministry comments on Russia’s refusal to cooperate with OSCE

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers Russia's failure to comply with the OSCE Vienna Document a confirmation of Russia's intentions to continue military pressure and threats of force against Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministry stated.

"Moscow's refusal to comply with the provisions of the Vienna Document is another confirmation of Russia's intentions to continue military pressure and threats of force against Ukraine," the ministry said.

In particular, on April 7, Ukraine activated the 2011 OSCE Vienna Document on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures.

Under the procedure provided for in this document, the Russian party was sent a formal request for clarification on the significant increase in the Russian military presence along the border with Ukraine and the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine in recent days.

"Unfortunately, the Russian party refused to provide substantive information under the request, stating that it doesn't conduct such activities. Further attempts by the Ukrainian party to involve Russia in consultations aimed at reducing security tensions were also ignored by the Russian party," the Foreign Ministry said.

They added that the Russian delegation boycotted the meeting convened by Ukraine on April 10 with the participation of other OSCE States.

The ministry called on the Russian party to withdraw troops from the border with Ukraine, stop militant rhetoric and disinformation, and start faithfully fulfilling the security provisions of the Minsk agreements and its obligations under the OSCE Vienna Document.

As previously reported, Ukraine incorporated paragraph 16 of the Vienna Document and initiated a meeting at the OSCE on Saturday about the increase of Russia's troop deployment near the border with Ukraine and in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

Ukraine's initiative was supported by the partner countries, but the Russian delegation didn't appear at the meeting, refusing to provide an explanation.

Germany and France made the statement after Russia refused to explain to the OSCE.