Russia’s Ukraine Claims Don’t Convince Europe, US Officials Say

[Rogue Valley]

Russia’s Ukraine Claims Don’t Convince Europe, US Officials Say

The chairman of Europe’s largest intergovernmental security group calls Putin’s moves “a breach of international law.”

www.defenseone.com

2.22.22
Russia’s effort to justify its invasion of Ukraine didn’t convince the members of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or OSCE, on Tuesday, according to a State Department senior official who attended a special session of the Permanent Council of the 57-member intergovernmental security organization. “No member of the international community [with whom he had spoken] is prepared to acknowledge Russia's recognition of these territories,” said Michael Carpenter, the U.S. ambassador to the OSCE. The OSCE has monitored the Minsk II ceasefire agreement signed by Russia and Ukraine in 2015. Russia’s recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics as “independent” from Ukraine essentially invalidates the oft-violated agreement. "This step is a breach of international law and fundamental OSCE principles and runs counter to the Minsk agreements,” Marcin Przydacz, Polish deputy foreign minister, said in a Tuesday statement to Polish state media. Poland currently holds the OSCE’s rotating chairmanship.

Speaking on the sidelines, Carpenter said Russia’s recent moves have destroyed its credibility among OSCE members. They aren’t buying the Kremlin’s justifications for attacking its neighbor. Meanwhile, the OSCE mission of monitoring the ceasefire is getting harder as violations have skyrocketed. Carpenter said that the OSCE monitors are continuing as best they can, while trying to keep out of harm’s way. “Ceasefire violations are a very serious matter and when mortar and artillery shells land in the nearby vicinity of our OSCE monitors, you know, we take that risk to their health and safety and security very, very seriously,” he said. The mission of international monitoring is more important than ever as the United States government and others call out provocative Russian false-flag operations. Carpenter said that reports of human rights abuses by Russian forces in Ukraine have alarmed international conflict monitors. “I've spoken to a lot of participating states that are very concerned by human rights abuses in [Ukraine’s] non-government controlled areas,” meaning the areas currently under the control of Russian forces and proxy forces, he said. “Not only would this be an egregious violation of human rights if any of this were carried out but, yes, it would clearly be a war crime as well.”

I spoke with someone in the ATO this morning. What is happening now is that Russian MLRS and artillery in the separatist areas are shelling government positions with impunity. The Russians say that any counterbattery fire by the Ukraine military will be viewed as a provocation. There does come a point where the Ukraine military will simply have to return fire or be bombarded to death. The Russian air force will probably use fuel-air explosives against the extensive network of Ukrainian defensive trenches in the eastern war zone.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

Unfortunately Russia's claims have convinced far too many in both Europe and the US it seems

I agree. Russia will just shell Ukrainian forces until they either fire back and they have as casus belli or they retreat, in which case the Russian forces can just move in and claim the territory. Ukraine seems to understand this. I hope the best for the poor sod that's given the order to fire the first round back...