Ukrainian delegation at OSCE objects during Russian foreign minister's speech
Thursday, 30 November 2023, 15:12
The Ukrainian delegation walked out of the OSCE ministerial meeting in Skopje when Sergei Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, began to speak.
Source: European Pravda correspondent
The entire Ukrainian delegation left the room when the Russian minister began his speech.
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Ukraine was supported by several other delegations, but exactly which ones has yet to be established.
Lavrov, who delivered his speech in Russian, broke off at one point and, apparently responding to events in the room, said in English: "Would you please leave me alone? Thank you."
After his speech, Lavrov immediately left the meeting room.
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Background:
- On 28 November, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba would not be attending the OSCE meeting due to the organisers’ decision to invite Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
- Subsequently, the foreign ministers of the Baltic states and Poland joined the boycott.
- It also became known that several other ministers boycotted the OSCE meeting but did not announce it publicly.
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken left the OSCE meeting before Lavrov arrived. EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell did not appear at the meeting either.
