Poland opposes Moscow’s use of the OSCE to spread Russian propaganda

Poland strongly opposes Moscow’s use of the OSCE to spread Russian propaganda and false information about the war against Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland made this statement in a post on X (Twitter).

Poland condemned Lavrov’s participation in OSCE meeting

The ministry is referring to the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a meeting of OSCE foreign ministers in Malta. This is 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 defend itself against one person on the sanctions list, how is it supposed to guarantee stability and peace in Europe?” the Polish Foreign Ministry stated.

Poland suggests suspending Russia’s OSCE membership

Earlier, Polish diplomacy chief Radoslaw Sikorski, speaking on behalf of Poland at a meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Malta, suggested suspending Russia’s membership in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

“The entire West tried to give Russia an incentive to become a normal, democratic nation-state. It is Russia that has chosen the path of an aggressive, repressive kleptocracy,” Radoslaw Sikorski said.

Entering the OSCE Ministerial Council, Sikorski told reporters that he would not listen to a speech by Russian Foreign Ministry chief Sergey Lavrov, PAP reported.

“Lavrov is coming here to lie about the Russian invasion and about what Russia is doing in Ukraine. I for one will not listen to these lies,” Polish diplomacy chief Radoslaw Sikorski said. 

Several countries made a demarche against Lavrov at OSCE meeting

Later, as Lavrov spoke, Sikorski left the meeting room; he stressed that he had seen a number of other delegations do the same.

A number of countries made a demarche against Lavrov during his speech at the OSCE meeting in Malta. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha left the OSCE plenary hall before Lavrov’s speech.

As Lavrov was starting his speech, representatives of the delegations of Georgia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia left the hall. The Czech Republic, Poland, Latvia, and Georgia made the demarche at the level of foreign ministers; Romania and Estonia at the level of lower-ranking diplomats; and Lithuania did not attend the OSCE meeting.

Estonia calls Lavrov’s participation in OSCE meeting “regrettable”

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna called Malta’s decision to allow Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to attend the OSCE meeting “regrettable”, pointing out that Lavrov had the chance to attend the OSCE ministerial meeting and “spread his propaganda slogans“, ERR reported.

He reminded that Russia grossly violates the OSCE principles; there are no signs that it is going to change its course, but Lavrov was given the opportunity to “express his false theses and shake hands with a number of other foreign ministers.”

“Estonia believes it is right to isolate the aggressor in the international stage so that he does not get the impression either at home or in other countries that he is presented as an equal alongside others,” Margus Tsahkna said.

He recalled that in 2022, Poland, which held the OSCE chairmanship at the time, refused to issue an entry visa to the Russian foreign minister.

“If the host country wanted to, of course, it would be possible to find a way to prevent the foreign minister representing a country that grossly violates OSCE principles from attending the meeting,” the Estonian diplomat concluded.

The European Commission explained that the sanctions imposed on Lavrov include an asset freeze and a ban on persons in the EU providing him with “any economic resources,” but he is not under a travel ban.