May 20, 2022

Representatives of NB8 Delegations to OSCE PA Visited the ICDS

Russia’s war in Ukraine must end with military victory for Ukraine – the end of the war means Ukrainian victory and Russian defeat, underlined ICDS fellows hosting the heads of the delegations of the Nordic countries and the Baltic states (NB8) to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on 20 May.

The aim of the visit of the NB8 delegations to OSCE PA was to discuss developments in the security situation of the region in light of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine – the politicians do not only talk, but they also listen to the expertise, as the participants noted.

Setting the scene for the discussion, James Sherr OBE, senior fellow with the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute at the ICDS warned that if the negotiations in Ukraine begin on Russian terms, before the ceasefire and withdrawal of the Russian troops from occupied territories, and the West starts easing sanctions, Vladimir Putin will inevitably use this from day one.

As Hanna Shelest, director of security programmes at the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” said at the recent Lennart Meri Conference 2022, the worry in Ukraine is not that the Ukrainian people will stop fighting, but that the West will.

Some additional key points from the discussion:

  • Ukraine needs sets of military equipment, not pieces.
  • Russian frozen assets must be used for reparations in Ukraine.
  • The war in Ukraine seriously impacts global food security. Turkey has a big and capable navy and could be able to contribute to securing and escorting food supplies.
  • Russia’s disinformation campaign must be brought to the public in broad daylight, exposing Russian strategies. But also, awareness of how Russia covertly operates, money laundering and procuring companies, must be raised.
Filed under: Events