OSCE Ambassadors Make First Visit to Ukraine in Eight Years
In a powerful gesture of solidarity, a delegation of ambassadors to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) arrived in Kyiv this week. It is the first such visit since Russia launched its full-scale invasion and the first in eight years overall.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to Suspilne.
The two-day visit, which included diplomats from 17 member states, comes at a pivotal moment as the OSCE approaches the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act – the document enshrining principles Russia is now accused of systematically violating.
Ambassadors from Austria, Germany, France, Canada, Italy, Finland, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Iceland, Switzerland, and Malta joined deputy heads of mission from Estonia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, and the Czech Republic for the visit.
The group began their mission with a meeting at the Office of the President of Ukraine, where they discussed OSCE’s future role in supporting Ukraine and ensuring accountability for Russian war crimes.
On July 2, the delegation paid tribute to the victims of Russia’s recent missile and drone attacks on Kyiv. One of the deadliest strikes this year occurred on June 17, when a Russian missile collapsed part of a residential building in the Solomianskyi district, killing 23 people, including children.
Standing near the ruins, Vesa Häkkinen, Finland’s ambassador to the OSCE and current Chair of the organization, explained the importance of seeing the destruction firsthand: “We work every day in Vienna to support Ukraine. It was important for us to come to Kyiv now to show our support and solidarity. It has become clearer to us how Ukrainians live here every day.”
Ukraine’s permanent representative to the OSCE, Yuriy Vitrenko, emphasized the historical and political significance of the visit.
“And our friends, ambassadors, our allies can now see with their own eyes what Russia is destroying, brutally violating every one of the ten core principles of the Helsinki Final Act,” said Vitrenko.
According to Häkkinen, the OSCE’s engagement with Ukraine today spans a wide spectrum: political condemnation of Russia’s actions, regular reporting on war crimes, support for Ukraine’s path toward European integration, and assistance in documenting atrocities, particularly those involving children deported by Russian forces.
Asked whether the OSCE is considering a renewed monitoring presence in Ukraine after the war, Häkkinen confirmed that such options are under discussion, but stressed that any decision will depend solely on Ukraine’s will.
The OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission had operated in Ukraine from March 2014 until March 2022, when Russia blocked the renewal of its mandate.
Months later, in July 2022, all remaining OSCE projects in Ukraine were terminated following another Russian veto. Last year, Moscow formally suspended its participation in the organization.
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