HELSINKI, Finland (Chatnewstv.com) — The leadership troika of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on Wednesday condemned what it called Russia’s intensifying assault on civilians and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
In a joint statement, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, Malta’s Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg, and Switzerland’s Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis accused Moscow of violating the foundational Helsinki Principles, as its full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters a fourth year.
“Russia continues to violate the Helsinki Principles that we have all collectively committed to and are here to protect,” the statement read. “Ukraine accepted an unconditional ceasefire. Russia did not. Instead, it has intensified its aggression.”
The officials expressed alarm over a sharp rise in civilian casualties. According to the United Nations, the first five months of 2025 saw a nearly 50 percent increase in civilian deaths and injuries compared to the same period last year — a result of Russia’s long-range missile and drone strikes.
“In recent days, we have again been forced to witness an indiscriminate wave of strikes by Russia against civilian targets on Kyiv and several other regions of Ukraine, resulting in death and destruction,” the statement said. “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
The OSCE leaders warned that such attacks could amount to war crimes and stressed the need for accountability.
“Indiscriminate attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law. Those directed against civilians may constitute war crimes,” the statement continued. “There must be no impunity for crimes committed in and against Ukraine, including war crimes and the crime of aggression.”
They also called for the return of Ukrainian children deported by Russia, the release of arbitrarily detained civilians, and highlighted the plight of three OSCE staff — Vadym Golda, Maksym Petrov, and Dmytro Shabanov — who have been detained by Russia for over three years.
“Europe needs peace to return to our continent,” the Troika said. “We support all efforts toward a just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on international law, including the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.”
The statement also welcomed recent humanitarian efforts, including prisoner exchanges, as “steps on the path toward a just and lasting peace.”
Editor: Gabriel Ani
