Ukraine’s defense minister calls for greater involvement of OSCE in solving Crimea issue

"Emphasizing the importance of upholding the fundamental principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, I would like to remind you of the illegal occupation of Ukrainian Crimea. We need greater OSCE involvement in this issue," Minister of Defense of Ukraine Andriy Taran said during online meeting of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation on Wednesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The Ukrainian minister expressed his belief that Crimea-related sanctions "must stay in place until Russia returns control over the peninsula to Ukraine."

Andriy Taran also stressed that the security situation in Donbas, near Ukraine's borders and in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov Seas "remains tense and is characterized by ongoing unprecedented militarization, occupation of the sovereign territories of Ukraine and Georgia, and obstruction of freedom of navigation."

"We believe that greater OSCE attention and involvement in these processes is needed. Improved monitoring of the situation by the SMM is important to provide an impartial picture, even to a limited extent due to the constant restrictions on freedom of movement," Ukraine’s defense minister said.

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