Foreign Secretary statement on Russia’s failure to turn up to OSCE military build-up meeting for the second time

Responding to Russia’s failure again to send a representative to an Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) meeting about its military build-up, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

Despite Russia’s claims to seek dialogue, all the evidence shows the opposite. This is the second OSCE meeting that Russia has boycotted. If Russia was serious about de-escalation, it would withdraw its troops and show up to these meetings. Instead we see contempt for the OSCE commitments to which it freely signed up.

Russia has the opportunity to de-escalate, withdraw its troops, and engage in meaningful dialogue. It must do so.