Russia declares its alleged "desire" for dialogue and diplomacy, but all its actions before and now testify to the opposite.
This was stated by Ian Stubbs, the senior military adviser of the UK delegation to the OSCE, who spoke at the Forum on Security Cooperation in Vienna on Wednesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“Here in Vienna, we have watched our Russian colleagues use this Forum as a mouthpiece to try to justify the unjustifiable. They have perpetuated a campaign of lies, threats and propaganda which has no solid foundation whatsoever. They have complained of confrontation and professed to seek dialogue. Yet, it is our Russian colleagues who have become increasingly contemptuous of this Forum, belligerent towards the Chair, and threatening towards fellow delegates,” he said.
In this context, the UK delegate called on his colleagues to “remind ourselves of Russia’s approach to dialogue and diplomacy.”
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Russia repeatedly lied in this and other multilateral fora over the true purpose of its extraordinary military build-up on Ukraine’s borders and illegally annexed Crimea. Russia not only ignored its commitments under the Vienna Document, but weaponized this Confidence and Security Building measure to support its disinformation campaign. Russia rejected calls for dialogue and de-escalation and instead pursued a path of confrontation. Russia said there would be no war. Russia said it had no intentions of invading Ukraine,” Stubbs recalled.
He added that after all that, Russia conducted an “unprovoked, premeditated and barbaric attack against a sovereign democratic State to conquer it by force and failed.”
“Russia has repeatedly underestimated the strength and determination of the courageous Ukrainian people to defend their homeland. In addition, Russia has severely underestimated our unwavering resolve to support Ukraine, alongside our friends and partners, for however long it takes,” said Ian Stubbs.
He added that Russia had also clearly underestimated NATO’s resolve. Russia’s own aggressive actions have directly resulted in NATO growing stronger: “welcoming new members; strengthening its forward presence; transforming the NATO Response Force; and boosting its ability to defend every inch of Allied territory.”
Stubbs reiterated the fact that the UL and its partners would do everything needed to make sure that Ukraine prevails.
“Our united approach of providing Ukraine with the support it needs to defend itself and push Russia out of Ukraine’s sovereign territory is the swiftest, and only, path to a just and lasting peace,” he stressed.
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As Ukrinform reported earlier, the military advisor of the British delegation to the OSCE, Ian Stubbs, said Russia failed to achieve military success in Ukraine with the help of a professional army at the outset of the invasion, and therefore only further defeats await Moscow now that it deploys an army of mobilized forces and reservists, equipped with outdated technology.
