On Thursday, December 4, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha took part in the plenary session of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Vienna and addressed its participants with his first speech.
“In the year of the fiftieth anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, it is time to speak honestly about the real state of security and cooperation in Europe. It is time to act to restore them,” the Minister said.
The Foreign Minister recalled that last year his speech began with the words “Ukraine is bleeding.” Unfortunately, his speech at the 32nd session of the OSCE Ministerial Council this year begins in the same way. The Minister called on all partners to make every effort to stop Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“Problems must be solved, not ignored. This war is not as far away as some may think. Vienna is closer to its frontline than to some other European capitals. No one should have any illusions. As long as Ukraine is bleeding, no one in this room can feel safe,” he said.
The Foreign Minister emphasized that the Ukrainian side will use every, even the smallest opportunity, to end the war. If there is at least one chance to achieve peace at the negotiating table, it should be the main one.
“We also know that peace must be sustainable. And security must be guaranteed — by real force and real guarantees. Security must be the basis for everything else,” he stressed.
Andrii Sybiha noted that today Russia refuses to stop its aggression against Ukraine, and tomorrow it will not stop trying to expand the war further into Europe.
The Foreign Minister drew the attention of European colleagues to numerous Russian atrocities and war crimes. According to the Minister, the OSCE can play an important role in ensuring that Russian criminals are brought to justice.
The Ukrainian side calls for the further use of all OSCE mechanisms to document, expose and condemn Russian crimes. “It is also time to think about the role that the Organization can play in the post-war period,” the Minister noted.
The Foreign Minister expressed gratitude to the United States of America and European partners for promoting and supporting the peace process.
Andrii Sybiha recalled that in the past, Europe had too many unfair peace agreements that only led to even greater disasters. He emphasized that in this context, it is extremely important to confirm commitment to the Helsinki Decalogue in the course of working to restore a just peace for Ukraine.
The Minister noted that in recent months alone, Russia has lost four important elections — to the ICAO Council, the UNESCO Executive Board, the OPCW Executive Board and the IMO Council. According to him, there is no reason to believe that the Russian Federation can be a partner in the OSCE.
“Countries around the world do not see Russia as a partner for solving global problems. Because Moscow itself is the root cause of global problems,” the Foreign Minister emphasized.
The Foreign Minister of Ukraine noted that in the 50 years since the Helsinki Final Act was signed, the situation in Europe has changed radically. The Minister recalled the critical need for the OSCE to adapt to new realities and recalled that the reform of the Organization proposed by Ukraine last year remains on the table.
“Future generations will look back at us today. If we want them to give a fair assessment of our actions, we must act now. Act to achieve a real, just and lasting peace for Ukraine and all of Europe,” the Minister noted.
Finally, the Foreign Minister recalled the demand for Russia to release three illegally detained OSCE SMM employees, Maksym Petrov, Vadym Golda and Dmytro Shabanov. He also thanked all the ministers who also demanded their release during the meeting.