In Malta, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken are getting ready to talk about the war in Ukraine. This meeting is part of a yearly event with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), where representatives from 57 countries gather to discuss important issues.
This year, the war in Ukraine is the main topic. While the meeting will also confirm agreements on important jobs in OSCE, it’s a significant moment because of the upcoming leadership of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Some of his advisers suggest ideas that would give parts of Ukraine to Russia, which makes the situation even more complicated.
Western countries want to show their support for Ukraine, while Russia is expected to criticize OSCE for favoring NATO and the European Union. Lavrov mentioned last year that he thinks OSCE is losing its purpose by aligning too closely with Western powers.
It’s Lavrov’s first visit to the European Union since Russia started its large-scale attack on Ukraine in February 2022. In the past, Russia has blocked many important decisions in OSCE. However, this year, the block on the OSCE budget is due to a disagreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Recently, an agreement was made to fill four top positions in OSCE, including the secretary-general, which will go to Feridun Sinirlioglu from Turkey. Finland will also take over the chairmanship for the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, a major agreement from the Cold War that started the OSCE.
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