GENEVA, December 8. /TASS/. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) could deploy several dozen people to Ukraine to monitor a potential ceasefire essentially as soon as it is agreed upon, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis stated.
According to him, the organization, whose chairmanship Switzerland will assume starting January 1, 2026, is already preparing to play its role in case of a ceasefire.
"Concrete considerations on this matter already exist today: the organization is capable of deploying several dozen people at a moment's notice," he said in an interview with the SonntagsBlick newspaper. "The OSCE could monitor a ceasefire, control the ceasefire line, observe elections, and so on."
At the same time, the minister reminded that "the frontline is currently 1,300 kilometers long." This means that the organization is "too small" to monitor its entire length. "That would require significant participation from participating states," Cassis believes.
Earlier, Cassis stated that the OSCE could, if necessary, establish a new mission to monitor a potential ceasefire in Ukraine. At the same time, the minister acknowledged that neither Moscow nor Kiev were satisfied with the previous monitoring mission. According to the minister, Ukraine's position has somewhat changed.
On December 4, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told the media on the sidelines of the OSCE Foreign Ministers' Council that Russia does not view the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as functional in achieving a lasting peace in Ukraine. He pointed out that any peace agreement would specify what kind, if any, international support would be needed, therefore current talk of deploying civilian or OSCE monitoring missions is meaningless and a blatant attempt to "put the cart before the horse.".