The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has decided to close the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, as Russia has blocked its continuation.
This is stated in the statement of the organization.
OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Poland Zbigniew Rau, and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid have announced that the OSCE will take immediate steps to close the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
The decision was taken due to a lack of consensus on extending the mandate of the mission to the OSCE Permanent Council on 31 March 2022.
"This is not an easy decision to take. We have explored all possible options through political dialogue with participating States to achieve the renewal of the Special Monitoring Mission’s mandate, but the position of the Russian Federation left us with no choice but to take steps to close down the Mission", Rau said.
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission was established in late March 2014 at the request of Ukraine.