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Undersecretary for Global Affairs Minna-Liina Lind: The future of the OSCE depends on Ukraine's fate

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

05.12.2025 | 11:38

Yesterday, 4 December, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Undersecretary for Global Affairs Minna-Liina Lind represented Estonia in Vienna at the 32nd meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Organisation for Security and Co operation in Europe (OSCE), where the focus was on Russia's aggression against Ukraine and support for Ukraine.

In Estonia's national statement, Lind stressed that the OSCE must remain true to its core values - defending peace and upholding the rules‑based international order. "Russia's imperialist ambitions and its ongoing war of aggression in Ukraine, including grave crimes against Ukraine's civilians, infrastructure and environment, are in direct contradiction with the OSCE's founding document. Such actions cannot go unpunished. It is essential to swiftly launch the special tribunal on the crime of aggression under the auspices of the Council of Europe," Lind said. She added that the future of the OSCE is directly linked to Ukraine's future. "By supporting Ukraine, we are defending all of Europe."

The Undersecretary emphasised that Russia's disregard for the freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighbouring states does not give other OSCE participating states the right to follow the same pattern of behaviour. "We are particularly concerned about the situation in Georgia, where the banning of the opposition and the silencing of civil society and independent media do not reflect the will of the Georgian people."

In addition to the Ministerial Council meeting, Undersecretary Lind also took part in a side meeting with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in support of democratic Belarus. "Estonia believes in the possibility of a democratic Belarus," Lind stated. "We have kept developments in Belarus in focus on the international stage since 2020 and plan to continue doing so as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2026-2028 period."

Minna-Liina Lind also attended a side event dedicated to Ukrainian children deported to Russia. "Russia has by now illegally deported nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children, whose Ukrainian identity is being systematically undermined through propaganda and by destroying their ties to their homeland," Lind noted. "We must continue efforts to ensure that every single Ukrainian child can return home."

The Undersecretary also participated in an event addressing the fight against illegal migration and border security, condemning the use of migration in hybrid operations and highlighting practical areas of cooperation within the OSCE to respond more effectively to the situation. She also met with Kyrgyzstan's Deputy Foreign Minister Asein Isaev to discuss cooperation between Estonia and Kyrgyzstan.