Fatène Benhabylès-Foeth, Susanne Schütz and Neil Holland,
Permanent Representatives respectively of France, Germany and the
United Kingdom to the Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe (OSCE).
Four years ago, on 24 February 2022, Russia launched its
unjustified and illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The date
is now etched into Europe's memory: a morning of missiles and
sirens that shattered peace for millions of Ukrainians. It also
confronted every European with a stark question: would force
decide our continent's future, or would law, dignity, and the
right of nations to choose their own path prevail? Today, on this
fourth anniversary, our answer is unchanged and unwavering: we
stand with Ukraine - its defence, its sovereignty, and its
territorial integrity, today, tomorrow, and for as long as it
takes.
Some may ask: what is the Organization for Security and
Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and why does it matter in 2026?
The OSCE is the world's largest regional security body, bringing
together 57 countries from Vancouver to Vladivostok. It was
founded on simple, powerful principles: do not use force to
change borders; respect sovereignty and territorial integrity;
protect human rights; and resolve disputes by peaceful means.
These principles, codified in the Helsinki Final Act in 1975 and
the Charter of Paris in 1990, are not abstractions. They are the
guardrails that keep Europe safe. When they are broken - as
Russia has done through the illegal annexation of Crimea, the
full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and ongoing strikes that
devastate civilians and critical infrastructure - the result is
suffering, instability, and a more dangerous world for everyone.
In recent months, Russia has claimed that the OSCE has “turned
away” from its founding spirit. The facts say otherwise. The
OSCE's tools were actively used to try to prevent this war and to
limit the danger once it began. Before the invasion,
participating States - including ours - invoked mechanisms
designed to reduce military risks and demand transparency: urgent
risk reduction inquiries, early warning alerts, and political
dialogue tracks aimed at easing tensions and clarifying military
activities. Russia refused to engage in good faith. It dodged
meetings, ignored formal requests for information, and filled the
diplomatic space with false narratives. This is not a failure of
the OSCE and its tools; it is a failure of Russia to respect the
rules it once agreed to.
The consequences of that refusal are visible in every shattered
apartment block and darkened power station in Ukraine. Week after
week, in Vienna - where the OSCE's key bodies meet - our
countries condemn Russia's ongoing aggression and call for a
return to the basic commitments designed to keep us safe. We seek
dialogue rooted in facts and law. Russia answers with propaganda
and unsubstantiated accusations that have no place in a
rules-based forum.
One breach of trust cuts especially deep for all of us who work
in this institution. Three OSCE staff members - Vadym Golda,
Maksym Petrov, and Dmytro Shabanov - have been held in Russian
detention since April 2022. They were seized while carrying out
official duties under a mandate all OSCE countries agreed to.
Nearly four years later, they remain unjustly detained. No state
that imprisons international civil servants for doing their jobs
can credibly claim to defend the principles of European security.
What does all of this mean for people far from the front lines?
It means that our security is interconnected. If borders can be
redrawn by force in Ukraine, then no country's independence is
secure. If the targeting of civilians becomes routine, then
conflict everywhere becomes more brutal. That is why our
commitment is not only to Ukraine, but first and foremost to the
idea of Europe as a place governed by rules rather than fear. The
OSCE's promise - open dialogue, transparency in military affairs,
human rights, and the peaceful settlement of disputes - is not
only a technical matter for diplomats. It is the difference
between the Europe we want and a Europe we should all fear.
We will keep the platform of the OSCE to speak the truth about
the war, to reduce risks, and to keep accountability alive. We
will continue to respond to the false claims that Russia tries to
promote, and we will not allow them to tarnish our faith in the
tools and structures that supported peace in Europe for decades.
The OSCE, its tools and its principles, will also be ready to
play an important role in rebuilding Ukraine and supporting a
just and lasting peace.
On this fourth anniversary, we reaffirm a simple truth: peace
built on justice endures; peace imposed by force collapses. The
road back to peace runs through respect for Ukraine's
independence, restoration of its territorial integrity,
accountability for crimes, and the release of those unjustly
detained - including our OSCE colleagues. That is the path we
will keep pursuing - in Vienna, in our capitals, and with
partners across the globe - until this war ends on terms that
honour the Helsinki Final Act and the lives it protects.
Signed,
The Permanent Representatives of France, Germany and the United
Kingdom to the Organization for Security and Co‑operation in
Europe (OSCE)
