12 February 2026 10:13 UTC · UK Government · GOV.UK Speech · Source · Email X Link

UK Government says Russia violates OSCE principles

Key points

Russia responsible for repeated violations of OSCE commitments
Russia should end aggression, respect international law, and release detained OSCE staff

TL;DR

UK Government says the Russian Federation has repeatedly violated OSCE commitments, citing the annexation of Crimea and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
UK Government notes Russia has refused to engage with OSCE mechanisms, denied access to temporarily occupied territories, and avoided meetings.
UK Government reports three OSCE staff—Vadym Golda, Maksym Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov—have been detained since April 2022.
UK Government states it continues to raise Russia's actions weekly in the Council and the Forum for Security Cooperation and supports Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Original text

Thank you, Mr Chair. And thank you for the briefing this morning. Last week, ahead of the visit by the Chairperson-in-office and Secretary General, the Russian Federation released a statement claiming that Western participating States had destroyed the OSCE by drifting away from its founding principles. This is not correct. One participating State has been responsible for repeated and serious violations of those principles, and that State is Russia. The Helsinki Final Act and the wider body of OSCE commitments are clear. States must refrain from the threat or use of force, respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, and settle disputes through peaceful means. Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing attacks that have severely impacted civilians and critical infrastructure show a clear disregard for these commitments. It should be obvious to say, but to accuse others of abandoning the OSCE’s principles while pursuing a war of aggression is hypocrisy. Russia has also suggested that it has been pushed out of the OSCE framework. This is also not supported by events. In the lead up to the full-scale invasion, participating States made full use of the Vienna Document mechanisms to try to reduce risks and to seek transparency. For instance, participating States enacted the Renewed European Security Dialogue and the Early Warning Mechanism to engage Russia before its full‑scale invasion of Ukraine. The fact is that Russia has repeatedly refused to engage, avoided meetings and spread false narratives. It has continued to deny access to the temporarily occupied territories, undermining OSCE mandated functions including monitoring the humanitarian situation. This is not a failure by the OSCE. It is a refusal by Russia to take part in good faith. Today, participating States, including the UK, continue to raise Russia’s actions in Ukraine every week in this Council and in the Forum for Security Cooperation. We are critical of the invasion and the conduct of it but we look for meaningful dialogue based on facts and law. Russia has so far not responded in that spirit. Instead, it has repeated propaganda, made accusations without evidence and used language that does not reflect the standards expected in this organisation. One example stands out: three OSCE staff members remain in Russian detention. Vadym Golda, Maksym Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov were detained in April 2022 while carrying out their official duties under a mandate agreed by all participating States. They have now spent nearly four years in detention. A State that imprisons its own OSCE colleagues cannot claim to defend its principles. Russia has also dismissed as illegitimate the OSCE mechanisms that it agreed to in the past but now finds uncomfortable, including the Moscow Mechanism. These tools were created by consensus. Their purpose is to allow the OSCE to respond when a participating State seriously violates our shared commitments. Rejecting them now does not change their validity or purpose. Mr Chair, the OSCE may face challenges, but the cause is not the behaviour of those who uphold its principles. The cause is the behaviour of one participating State that has chosen to break them. The way forward is also clear. Russia should end its aggression, respect international law, and release the detained OSCE staff members. The UK will continue to stand with Ukraine and support the principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty and the peaceful settlement of disputes. These remain the foundation of this Organisation. Thank you.

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