BRUSSELS – EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said Russia’s actions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine undermine the established European security order based on sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of states and inviolability of their borders, peaceful settlement disputes and the free choice of their future by the countries.
“Today, these long-standing key principles of European security have not been respected. The crisis in and around Ukraine has yet to be resolved and the region continues to be burdened by protracted conflicts,” Mogherini said at the 23rd OSCE Ministerial Meeting in Hamburg in Hamburg on Dec. 8.
“Failure comes when we let our differences prevail, instead of focusing on our shared interests and on the international frameworks we need to achieve them,” she said.
She noted the European Union continues to see the OSCE as a crucial pillar of European security. “We believe the OSCE can provide a tool and a framework towards peace and security in our continent,” Mogherini said.
“Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and the destabilizing actions in eastern Ukraine are in flagrant violation of the OSCE principles and international law. The European Union will not recognize the annexation and will continue to call for it to be reversed. Likewise, we will continue to call for respect for the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and full implementation from all sides of the Minsk agreements,” the EU foreign affairs chief said.
She stressed the need for full, secure and unimpeded access of the OSCE monitoring mission to the whole of Ukraine’s territory, including the border with Russia, as well as well as for the geographical expansion of the OSCE Observer Mission at the Russian checkpoints.
The European Union is ready to sustain a possible OSCE mission to bolster the security of local elections and to contribute to reconstruction efforts, Mogherini said.
