Press Statement of Special Representative Kinnunen after the proposed Meeting of Trilateral Contact Group on 19 February 2022

KYIV, 19 February 2022 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Mikko Kinnunen, made the following statement to the press after the proposed meeting of the TCG:

“This morning, I convened an extraordinary meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group.  Unfortunately, and despite the worsening situation in the conflict related to eastern Ukraine, some participants linked their attendance to certain political preconditions. As a consequence, the meeting did not take place.

I regret this as I am convinced that particularly in a situation like this every opportunity should be used in order to defuse tensions and reduce the risk of unwanted consequences. For three days now, we have been observing a worrying degree of escalation, including military activities, and inflammatory rhetoric.

I fully join the statement by the Chairman in Office of the OSCE Zbigniew Rau and the Secretary General of the OSCE, Helga Schmid in which they deplore the spreading of disinformation about an imminent military action by the Ukrainian government forces.

It is our responsibility to make sure that civilians do not have to pay the price for miscalculations or provocations. All participants are called upon to prevent a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation on both sides of the contact line and to fully respect international humanitarian law.

I will continue to reach out to all TCG participants with an aim to de-escalate the situation and return to dialogue and adherence to the Minsk Agreements.”