Ukraine crisis: OSCE to hold security meeting on Monday, chairmanship says

The OSCE will hold an extraordinary meeting of permanent representatives on Monday to find ways to de-escalate the situation in Ukraine, the Polish chairmanship of the European security body said.

"The meeting has been called for Monday," Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski told PAP on Sunday, following a request from Kyiv amid a sharp escalation in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) monitors have reported hundreds of artillery and mortar attacks in recent days, in a conflict that has rumbled since 2014 and claimed more than 14,000 lives.

The ceasefire violations come as the United States accuses Russia of planning to invade Ukraine after a troop build-up of some 150,000 troops on its ex-Soviet neighbour's borders.

Russia has denied any such plans.

Ukraine had requested a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna to discuss the "rapidly deteriorating security situation", Poland's OSCE representative Adam Halacinski said on Twitter.

"Its aim is to discuss everything that has happened in recent hours and what steps the OSCE should take in this situation in order above all to bring about a de-escalation of tension," Jablonski said.

Alliances with the West, Ukraine, and Russia, mean Israel is walking a delicate diplomatic tightrope to avoid taking sides in the crisis, writes @moh_salami https://t.co/mInX3qBW4p

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) February 20, 2022

"We are using all available tools that are possible to use in order to avoid an armed conflict."

Poland holds the rotating chairmanship 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 1400 GMT on Monday.