Top diplomats of Baltics and Ukraine to boycott OSCE talks over Russian foreign minister’s presence

By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES
Associated Press

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — The foreign ministers of the three Baltic states and of Ukraine say they will boycott a meeting by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe being held this week in North Macedonia. They object to the participation of Russia’s foreign minister. The top diplomats of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania said in a joint statement Tuesday that the participation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will only provide Russia with yet another propaganda opportunity. Lavrov said Monday that he planned to travel to Skopje for the OSCE foreign ministers’ meeting. This would mark a rare visit to a NATO member country since Russia launced its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2024.