Russia Accuses Poland of Undermining the OSCE’s Core Mission

Poland has long pursued destructive actions aimed at weakening and dismantling the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in remarks to TASS.

“Warsaw has long been engaged in destructive activities aimed at undermining and destroying the OSCE’s very essence,” Zakharova stated. “They should not just pronounce the letters of the organization’s name but also understand what it stands for and why it was created. It was established for security and cooperation. Thanks to NATO’s efforts, little remains of this security and cooperation.”

Her comments came after Poland canceled visas for representatives of Russia’s Public Institute of Electoral Law, who had been scheduled to attend the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference organized by the OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office. The move drew criticism from Moscow, which accused Warsaw of politicizing the organization and violating the spirit of dialogue and inclusiveness on which the OSCE was founded.