Swiss-Chaired OSCE Has 'Little Hope' Of Brokering Ukraine Peace

2026-02-04 02:12:07

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis travels to Moscow as chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Fredy Gsteiger, diplomatic correspondent of Swiss public broadcaster SRF, examines if the OSCE can still mediate on the war in Ukraine. Select your language

Generated with artificial intelligence. Listening: Swiss-chaired OSCE has 'little hope' of brokering Ukraine peace This content was published on February 4, 2026 - 13:44 3 minutes SRF

Русский ru Глава МИД Швейцарии Иньяцио Кассис посетит Москву Read more: Глава МИД Швейцарии Иньяцио Кассис посетит М

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Following a visit to Kyiv earlier this week, Cassis will meet with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday.

+ Read more: can OSCE retain its relevancy?
Is the OSCE the right organisation to mediate in this war?
Fredy Gsteiger: Partly, yes. A minimum level of trust is a prerequisite for even discussing peace. And building trust is a core task of the OSCE. However, in the current Ukraine conflict, it is extremely difficult for the OSCE to find its role and, indeed, to play any role at all.

Currently, no-one places much hope in the OSCE. Therefore, there is very little to suggest that the organisation can play a role as a peace mediator, whether chaired by Switzerland or not.
What are the current problems with the OSCE?
F.G.: Although all 57 member states meet weekly in Vienna, including the United States and Russia, genuine dialogue is virtually nonexistent. Each side voices their own position without listening to the other. Russia also obstructs all decision-making.

Western countries, in turn, avoid dialogue with Russia. The situation within the OSCE is largely deadlocked. It lacks the leverage to compel anyone to make peace. Such leverage is more readily available to actors like the US or China.
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