Poland opposes Moscow's use of OSCE to spread Russian propaganda

Ivanna Kostina, STANISLAV POHORILOV — Thursday, 5 December 2024, 20:25

Poland has expressed firm opposition to Moscow's use of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as a vehicle for spreading Russian propaganda and false information about the war against Ukraine.

Source: Poland's Foreign Ministry on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: The ministry is referring to the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a meeting of OSCE foreign ministers in Malta. This marks Lavrov's first visit to an EU country since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"Poland strongly opposes Moscow's use of the OSCE forum to spread Russian propaganda and false information about the war against Ukraine.

If the OSCE is unable to protect itself from one person on the sanctions list, how can it guarantee stability and peace in Europe?" the Polish Foreign Ministry stressed.

Earlier, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, who represented Poland at the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Malta, stated that Russia's membership in the organisation should be suspended.

"The entire West has been trying to give Russia an incentive to become a normal, democratic nation-state. It was Russia that chose the path of aggressive, repressive kleptocracy," Polish news agency PAP quoted Sikorski as saying.

Before the meeting, Sikorski told journalists that he would not listen to Lavrov's speech, stating, "Lavrov is coming here to spread lies about the Russian invasion and what Russia is doing in Ukraine."

Background:

A number of diplomats from around the world left the room as Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov began speaking at the OSCE Ministerial Council in Malta.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna called Malta's decision to allow Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to attend the OSCE meeting "regrettable".
The European Commission explained that the sanctions imposed on Lavrov involved an asset freeze and a ban on individuals in the EU, providing him with "any economic resources," but he was not subject to a travel ban.

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