Ukraine Pushes Bold Plan to Reform OSCE and Curb Russian Obstruction

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has laid out an ambitious reform blueprint to revive the paralyzed Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The Gaze reports this, referring to Ukrinform.

These proposals come amid growing international calls to modernize the OSCE, whose consensus-based decision-making has allowed Moscow to repeatedly block its operations.

“First, we must abolish the outdated consensus rule, which, due to Russia’s abuse, has become a veto mechanism similar to the UN Security Council, rendering the OSCE dysfunctional. Ukraine will be among the countries advocating for this change,” Sybiha said.

As a second step, Ukraine proposes replacing the unanimity requirement with a qualified majority vote for key decisions. 

Specifically, Sybiha suggests that a two-thirds majority should be able to suspend the membership of states that violate OSCE principles or breach the 1975 Helsinki Final Act.

Thirdly, he called for expanding the authority of the OSCE’s leadership structures, particularly the Chairmanship and the “Troika” (which includes past, present, and incoming chairs), to better coordinate and respond to crises.

Fourthly, Kyiv wants to overhaul the process for appointing OSCE leadership, arguing that current mechanisms limit the organization’s effectiveness and strategic direction.

Finally, Sybiha emphasized the need for the OSCE to reflect the security realities of today rather than those of the Cold War era.

“Today, Europe is experiencing a hot war. There is a significant gap between the OSCE’s current function and today’s realities, and this must be addressed in its work,” he stated. 

Sybiha has previously argued that Russia’s membership should be reconsidered, saying it is “unacceptable” for a country waging a war of aggression to continue blocking the organization’s work from within.

As The Gaze reported earlier, during a visit to Helsinki on July 31 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act of the OSCE, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha held bilateral talks with Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, the current OSCE Chair-in-Office.