Western diplomats criticized comments by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meeting in Malta, DPA reported, BTA reported.
Lavrov, whose visit to Malta is his first to a European Union member state since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, said that the West ignited the war in Ukraine and is responsible for the emergence of a new Cold War that could escalate into a direct confrontation.
Lavrov's last visit to an EU country was in December 2021, when he was in Sweden, DPA recalls. "The whole situation could turn into a heated phase," Lavrov said on the first day of a two-day meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council. He said Western countries had taken control of the Vienna-based organization.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken described the Russian foreign minister's statements as a "tsunami of disinformation". Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiha addressed Lavrov in his speech as "the war criminal at this table", without mentioning him by name.
"Our peace plan is for Russia to get out of Ukraine and leave us alone," Sibiha said. He stressed that Russia is the biggest threat to global security - not only because of its attack on Ukraine, but also because of its military cooperation with Iran and North Korea.
German Foreign Minister Analene Baerbock also accused Lavrov of "unbearable lies" about the war in Ukraine. "You can fool yourself, but you can't fool us - 1.3 billion people in (OSCE countries)", she told Lavrov directly during the meeting. In his speech, Berbock called on the international community, and in particular the OSCE member states, to continue working for the organization's core principles of peace, freedom and security, despite some differences of opinion.
The OSCE is one of the few forums for dialogue on security and democracy where Western representatives still have direct contact with Russia.
While Moscow has withdrawn from several other European platforms and organizations, it has remained in the OSCE, seeing it as a platform through which to communicate its position on the war in Ukraine to the 57 member states, DPA notes.
In his speech, Lavrov warned that the OSCE could disintegrate if it stops providing an opportunity to solve problems. For example, the organization could have played a role in investigating the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines from Russia to Germany, Lavrov argued. "The West is doing everything it can to undermine" OSCE, the Russian diplomat later told reporters.
Criticisms over Lavrov's visit
Lavrov's participation in the Malta summit was criticized by a number of Western diplomats before the meeting, including Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.
"Lavrov is coming here to lie about the Russian invasion and what Russia is doing in Ukraine. And I don't want to listen to his lies. I will not sit at the same table with Lavrov," Sikorski said upon arriving at the Malta meeting.
Sikorski later left the hall during Lavrov's speech along with representatives of the Czech Republic, Ukraine and the Baltic states. Germany's top diplomat also criticized Russia's participation.
"Just as Russia uses bombs and drones to attack peace and security in Europe, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin wants to apply this to the OSCE," said Berbock. "We will not allow Putin to blow up our common peace, to reduce it to dust and ashes, nor will we allow Russia to play its cynical game here without reacting to it," she added.
The comments came after Malta yesterday revoked the visa of Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who was also due to attend the meeting, after objections from the Baltic republics.
OSCE in a difficult position
The OSCE has been in crisis since the start of the war in Ukraine. Russia has vetoed several important decisions that require consensus to be adopted. The remaining member states accuse Moscow of undermining and blocking the organization's work. The OSCE budget has remained unchanged for three years. In addition, four senior positions, including that of Secretary General, have been vacant since September. The member states have failed to agree on a suitable successor after Helga Schmidt's term ends. The meeting in Malta will last two days. A decision on the budget and an agreement on the vacant senior positions are expected tomorrow, DPA notes.