VIENNA, April 07. /ITAR-TASS/. The US anti-Russian rhetoric in the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is aimed at justifying NATO’s decision to build up troops in Eastern Europe, the Baltic states and the Black Sea Region, Russia’s high-ranking diplomat has said.
“The US itself seeks to heighten tensions,” Russian permanent envoy to the OSCE Andrei Kelin said on Monday.
“NATO has not given any explanations. That is why there are no grounds for starting any discussions,” he said.
Since last week US diplomats have tried to persuade OSCE partners that Russia had violated the Vienna Confidence and Security Building Measures Document.
Last Wednesday, April 2, the US demanded Switzerland convene the Forum for Security Cooperation and the Standing Committee to discuss the issue.
The US ambassador to the OSCE, Daniel Baer, said, “We have strong evidence that there are tens of thousands of troops on the border and again not in their normal peacetime positions or garrisons.”
The Russian delegation did not address the meeting, he said.
Kelin said, “The US data are random and do not give evidence that the concentration of Russian troops is too dangerous near the Ukrainian border.”
In March OSCE partners conducted several inspections in the territory of Russia within the Open Skies Treaty. “No dangerous military concentrations have been revealed,” Kelin said.