Moscow claims OSCE deliberately overlooking Nazism in Europe

(MENAFN) A senior Russian Foreign Ministry official, Grigory Lukyantsev, accused the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) of showing alarming indifference to the resurgence of Nazi ideology across Europe. Speaking alongside Russian and Belarusian delegations at an OSCE forum in Vienna on Monday, Lukyantsev expressed deep concern over the organization’s inaction.

He condemned the revival of Nazi symbols and ideas, such as torch marches, aggressive nationalism, and the glorification of Nazis and their collaborators. Lukyantsev linked the widespread anti-Russian sentiment, or Russophobia, to this dangerous trend. He stressed that the defeat of Nazism in World War II laid the groundwork for key international agreements like the 1945 UN Charter and the 1975 Helsinki Accords, which aimed to ensure security and cooperation in Europe.

Lukyantsev criticized the West for manipulating the OSCE and similar institutions for its own agenda, selectively applying and distorting the principles of the Helsinki Act. He noted that Russia’s efforts to reform the OSCE by granting it a legal charter have been consistently blocked by Western countries.

Last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also criticized the OSCE and other Euro-Atlantic bodies for failing to maintain security and stability, accusing them instead of escalating tensions and pushing the region toward a new conflict.

Moscow has frequently accused OSCE observers of ignoring Kiev’s attacks on civilians in the Donbass region, pointing out that Western powers have overlooked Ukraine’s repression of its Russian-speaking population since the 2014 Western-backed government change. Russia claims Ukrainian nationalist and neo-Nazi groups, including Svoboda, Right Sector, and Azov, have committed numerous violent acts. Protecting the Russian-speaking population in Donbass has been cited by President Vladimir Putin as a main justification for Russia’s military operation launched in 2022.

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