The organization for Security and cooperation in Europe (OSCE) should hold an extraordinary meeting of permanent representatives on Monday to look for ways to defuse the situation in Ukraine, the Polish Presidency of european security body noted.
“The meeting has been called for Monday,” Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski told the Polish News Agency (PAP). on Sunday, following a request from Kyiv in the middle of a steep escalation in the dispute in Eastern Ukraine.
OSCE monitors reported hundreds of artillery and mortar attacks in The last days, in a conflict that has rumbled since 2014 and demands more more than 14,000 lives.
Termination-fire violations come as US accuses Russia of plans to invade Ukraine after a troop build-up of some 150,000 soldiers on borders of son former Soviet neighbor.
Russia has denied such plans.
Ukraine had requested a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna to discuss ‘rapidly deteriorating security situation’, Polish OSCE representative Adam Halacinski says on Twitter.
“His purpose is to discuss everything that happened in recent hours and what steps the OSCE should take in this situation in in order above all to operate a de-escalation of tension,” Jablonski said.
“We are using all available tools which are possible for use in order at avoid an armed conflict.”
Poland holds the rotating presidency for this year of the Vienna-based OSCE, which has 57 members including Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
US officials said the meeting was scheduled for 14:00 GMT on Monday.
