WARSAW/VIENNA/COPENHAGEN, 21 February 2022 – The OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Foreign Minister of Poland, Zbigniew Rau, OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Margareta Cederfelt (MP, Sweden) and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Secretary General Roberto Montella strongly condemned the decision by Russia to recognize certain areas of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts as independent and made the following statement:

“This step is a breach of international law and fundamental OSCE principles and runs counter to the Minsk agreements.

As all OSCE participating States, Russia has undertaken commitments to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of others. We call on Russia to immediately rescind this decision.

The recognition will only fuel further tensions and will separate the populations living in these regions from the rest of their country, Ukraine.”