The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said on Wednesday 9 February in a letter on behalf of the EU27 to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, that the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was the appropriate forum for discussing any security issues.
While Lavrov had asked for individual responses as part of a letter sent to each member state, the EU27 decided to respond collectively to Russian security concerns (see EUROPE 12882/13).
The EU27 are seriously concerned about the situation and have expressed their “firm belief that tensions and disagreements must be resolved by means of dialogue and diplomacy”.
“Together with our NATO partners, the EU stands ready to continue the dialogue with Russia on ways in which we can enhance the security of all”, the letter says. In the opinion of the Europeans, the OSCE is “the appropriate forum in which to address the security concerns of all interested parties”, in complementarity with other existing bodies, including the NATO-Russia Council.
In their letter, the EU27 also call on Moscow to work towards de-escalating tensions and to stop its military build-up in and around Ukraine, and also in Belarus, where joint exercises are currently being carried out.
At the same time, the ambassadors of the EU Member States have decided to sanction five individuals for undermining the territorial integrity of Ukraine by facilitating the organisation and conduct of the Russian Duma elections in Crimea. These measures are due to be formally adopted in the coming days.
Coordination between the Weimar countries
The previous day, French President Emmanuel Macron and his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, were received in the evening by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. While Mr Macron was returning from Moscow and Kiev, Mr Scholz is due to visit next week. He had in fact just returned from Washington, while Mr Duda had just returned from Beijing and Brussels.
By coincidence, France holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU, Germany holds the G7 Presidency and Poland the OSCE Presidency. “This year is marked by three Presidencies, which provides us with even greater strength to relay a common message in these different forums”, Macron told the media, adding that the three leaders had “consulted closely” prior to their diplomatic exchanges over the past few days.
“This exchange is particularly useful because we have the same objective: maintaining peace in Europe by means of diplomacy, through clear messages and our common desire to act together, if required”, Scholz explained.
Mr Duda, for his part, emphasised the need to “find a solution that avoids war”. “This is our basic mission and I believe we will succeed. The most important thing is unity and solidarity, the fact that we speak with one voice, that we do not waiver and that we do not back down”, he added. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)