Observing the Observers
The OSCE and Russia’s Aggression against Ukraine
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
As a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe has once again gained the status of a major international organisation after years of declining importance. It dispatched to Ukraine a large civilian observer mission. In addition, the OSCE observes two crossings on the Ukrainian-Russian border and plays an important role as mediator in the trilateral contact group. However, the observer mission is poorly equipped, and personnel are often recruited with a lack of regard for professional criteria. For too long, the mission was intent on maintaining diplomatic equidistance and therefore failed to document Russia’s massive and obvious involvement in the war. The fact that Russia is a warring party but pretends to be an intermediary and can at the same time paralyse the OSCE, which makes decisions based on consensus, reduces the chances for success for the organisation and its missions.
(Osteuropa 1-2/2015, pp. 43–56)