OSCE refuses to comment on why secretary general avoids calling Russia an aggressor

This is confirmed by the response of the OSCE Secretariat’s Department of Communications and Media Relations to Ukrinform’s information request.

The request asked the OSCE Secretariat to comment on comments made by Sinirlioglu at a press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on 11 March. During the conference, the OSCE Secretary General stated that the Russian Federation is a “very important partner within the OSCE”. The request also asked how this statement is consistent with international law regarding Russia and OSCE commitments.

In addition, Ukrinform asked whether the issue of the three OSCE staff members who are still illegally held in prison by Russia was discussed during the visit and whether any progress had been made towards their release.

The request also asked why the OSCE Secretary General has avoided directly mentioning Russia as the aggressor in the current war against Ukraine in his recent public statements, and whether Sinirlioglu openly acknowledges Russia's responsibility for starting and continuing the aggressive war against a sovereign neighbor.

In response, the OSCE Secretariat press service issued a statement:

“The main objective of the Secretary General’s visit to Moscow was efforts to end the war in Ukraine, which has caused enormous loss of life and suffering to millions of people. During his discussions, the Secretary General reiterated his call for an end to senseless violence and tragic suffering, placing the lives and well-being of civilians at the centre of our priorities. He also noted that the OSCE remains a key platform for security dialogue among all its participating States and that the Organization stands ready to support efforts to end the war and beyond in any way that may be helpful to the parties. In his meetings, the Secretary General also raised the issue of our three groups, who have remained in detention in Donetsk and Luhansk for almost three years now.”

Read also: Ukraine in OSCE: Russia has kidnapped 19,546 Ukrainian children, another 17,000 are missing

As reported by Ukrinform, OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu visited Moscow on March 11, where he held “frank and productive discussions” with the aggressor country’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. During a joint press conference with Lavrov, Sinirlioglu described Russia as “a very important partner within the OSCE” and never mentioned Russia’s responsibility for starting the war against Ukraine.

Earlier, on February 20, at the end of the OSCE PA winter session in Vienna, Sinirlioglu called for an immediate end to the war in Ukraine through diplomatic means. However, in his speech, he did not mention Russia or the Russian nature of the war against Ukraine.

In December 2024, the OSCE Ministerial Council approved the new leadership of the Organization, appointing Turkish diplomat Feridun Sinirlioglu as the new OSCE Secretary General.

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