Absent From Ukraine's Requested Consultation Session, Moscow Official: Russia Is Not Undertaking Serious Military Activity

Illustration of the OSCE monitoring team in Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons/OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine)

JAKARTA - Russia has officially notified the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that it will not take part in the consultations that Ukraine has requested on the situation on the Ukrainian border.

Last Monday, Ukraine had called for meetings with Russia and other members of Europe's main security group, as tensions escalated on its borders.

In his statement to TASS as quoted on February 16, the leader of the Russian delegation for talks related to military security and arms control in Vienna, Austria, Konstantin Gavrilov said Moscow had not carried out extraordinary military activities, so he chose not to take part in the consultations.

"Russia has not carried out any serious military activity which should be reported under the Vienna Documents (on trust building and security measures)," he said.

"The movement of troops in the confidence-building zone and security measures are carried out as part of regular combat training, which does not require notification," Gavrilov continued.

Illustration of the OSCE monitoring team in Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons/OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine)

"Given this, Russia sees no reason to resort to procedures under the provisions of the 16 Vienna Documents and will not take part in the relevant meeting (the OSCE on Tuesday)," he said.

A source at the OSCE told TASS earlier, closed-door consultations among OSCE member states, which were requested by Ukraine to discuss compliance with the Vienna Document, on Security Development Beliefs and Actions. The aim is to clarify the situation along the Russian-Ukrainian border

The meeting was requested by Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba, who claims Moscow allegedly failed to respond to Ukraine's request for an explanation regarding the movement of Russian troops along the Ukrainian border.

"If Russia is serious when it comes to inextricable security in the OSCE space, it must fulfill its commitment to military transparency to reduce tensions and increase security for all," Foreign Minister Kuleba said.

Please note, adopted at the OSCE in 2011, the 'Vienna Document on Confidence and Security-Building Measures' considers inspections by OSCE member states of certain military areas and units with the aim of controlling military activities.

The OSCE consists of 57 participating countries and 11 cooperation partners. Member states annually exchange information on their armed forces and major weapons systems, defense and defense spending plans.