The Netherlands is recalling five employees of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) from eastern Ukraine. The West fears that a Russian invasion is imminent.
Three other Dutch OSCE employees are in Kiev. It is uncertain whether they will stay, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tells news hour.
Ceasefire Control
The OSCE observers are the independent eyes and ears of the international community in places where there is or is a threat of conflict. They have been active in eastern Ukraine since 2014, where hundreds of OSCE members oversee a ceasefire between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists.
It has been getting harder and harder over the past few months. “The observers have been hindered in their work by both sides,” said Alexander Hug, who for years was the leader of the OSCE mission there. “They were blocked and technology was sabotaged. That hinders the mission to clearly observe what is happening on the ground.”
‘Without OSCE members more chance of violence’
Until recently, there were about 515 OSCE personnel in the area. But under the Russian threat, the United States and Great Britain are also withdrawing their employees back† Hug hopes that those people will be replaced by others. He calls it crucial that the mission continues.
“The mission is also a means of keeping a dialogue open. This can only be successful if people on the ground communicate facts so that the negotiators and diplomats in the capitals have documentation that is irrefutable and verified during their telephone conversations. Then there can be no misunderstandings.” Then there can be nothing on the table that can be a reason for more violence and aggression.”
In addition to the eight OSCE observers, the Netherlands also has eight employees of EUAM, the EU advisory mission, in Ukraine. Seven of them also return to the Netherlands.
–
