Ukraine at OSCE: Putin failed to learn lesson of Kherson

Declaring the Sea of Azov an internal sea of Russia, Putin simply failed to learn the recent lesson when Ukraine liberated occupied Kherson.

“As the Ministerial demonstrated, we are going to watch a new stage setting by the Russian diplomats – how they are conciliatory in their statements and committed to a dialogue. There is a clear reason for this, as well as a clear explanation why it is a trap. As Russia is losing the war military, they are trying to re-write the end of the story diplomatically,” Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk said at the OSCE Permanent Council meeting on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

But whatever tricks the Russian diplomacy may use, their goals have not change, and yesterday’s meeting of Putin with the so-called Council for Civil Society and Human Rights is very telling in this regard, the diplomat noted.

“Putin was very enthusiastic to announce that gaining new territories for Russia was a tangible result of the war he started. For Putin, it is nothing else but a war of conquest. This time he declared the Sea of Azov as Russia’s internal sea.  Unfortunately, president Putin failed to learn the recent lesson of Kherson. Well, for some it’s better to learn from your own mistakes,” Tsymbaliuk said.

The diplomat reminded those who may still believe that the Kremlin is negotiable that the last missile attack took place on the 28th anniversary of the Budapest Memorandum. 

“Having concluded this document, Russia reaffirmed its obligations to respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. But Moscow defiantly violated its obligations by unleashing a full-scale war against Ukraine and by trying to destroy the Ukrainian nation as part of its genocidal policy. So, the Budapest memorandum proves that no agreement with the Russian federation works if Russia retains the physical ability and motivation to violate them,” the Ambassador stressed.

On December 7, Putin said that Russia's acquisition of new territories was a significant result of the so-called "special military operation" against Ukraine. According to him, "there is no reason to be silent, and the Sea of Azov has become the internal sea of the Russian Federation." At the same time, Putin added that "Peter I fought much to reach the Sea of Azov."

Kherson was occupied by the Russians on March 2 and liberated by the Ukrainian army on November 11.

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