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Russia will not participate in OSCE meeting at Ukraine’s request on February 18

"Russia will not participate in meetings and joint sessions convened at the request of Ukraine, objects to the adoption of any decisions and does not intend to participate in mass psychosis orchestrated by the Anglo-Saxons around Ukraine," Konstantin Gavrilov said

VIENNA, February 17. /TASS/. Russia will not participate in a joint special meeting of the Permanent Council and the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation on Friday at the request of Ukraine in accordance with the Vienna Document on Confidence and Security-Building Measures due to the situation along the Russian-Ukrainian border. Head of the Russian delegation at the Vienna Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control Konstantin Gavrilov told TASS that Ukraine’s request has no grounds.

"We have already presented the Ukrainian Permanent Mission and Poland’s OSCE Chairmanship with the official note that all activities carried out by the Russian Armed Forces related to the movement of military units are carried out as part of planned combat training and do not require notifications. Attempts by the Baltic states and Ukraine to use paragraph 16 of the Vienna Document 2011 have no grounds," Gavrilov said. "In this regard, Russia will not participate in meetings and joint sessions convened at the request of Ukraine, and objects to the adoption of any decisions. We do not intend to participate in this mass psychosis orchestrated by the Anglo-Saxons around Ukraine," he added.

The meeting was announced by Poland's OSCE Chairmanship on Friday. Dmitry Kuleba, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, had earlier announced the request for the meeting. He explained that Kiev lacked sufficient statements about the completion of Russian exercises on Ukraine's border, and that transparency and further facts are required.

On Tuesday, the OSCE held closed consultations of its member states in accordance with the Vienna Document at Ukraine's request to clarify the situation with "unusual military activity" along the Russian-Ukrainian border. Russia did not attend the meeting, and no agreements were reached at the end.

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