Blinken criticized for leaving OSCE conference

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for leaving the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe meeting in North Macedonia, calling it an act of “simple cowardice.”

Lavrov also stated at the OSCE meeting that the West is hindering efforts to revive the organization, which he claimed is on the verge of collapse.

During the meeting in Skopje, Lavrov said, “There are no particular reasons for optimism at present. The OSCE is essentially being turned into an appendage of NATO and the European Union. The organization, let’s face it, is on the edge of a precipice. A simple question arises: does it make sense to make efforts to revitalize it?”

Lavrov accused the West of waging “hybrid war” against Russia and criticized the European Union for becoming an “aggressive political project.”

The 57-member OSCE, originally established as a platform for Soviet and Western powers, is currently hindered by Russia’s use of its effective veto power.