News and press releases

The situation in Western and Central Ukraine remains calm, whereas in Luhansk and Donetsk districts it is tense due to the activity of armed opponents of the central government, and Ukrainian special forces conducting a “counter-terrorist operation”. In the southern part of the country and in other parts of Eastern Ukraine some tension was felt and, overall, the number of roadblocks in Kharkiv, Dnepropetrovsk, Kherson and Odessa appeared to have increased.

Bern, April 17, 2014- Swiss Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Didier Burkhalter welcomed the outcome of the discussions between the Foreign Ministers of Ukraine, the United States and the Russian Federation as well as the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who met today in Geneva.

CHISINAU, 17 April 2014 – The Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, Ambassador Jennifer Brush, met today with a US Congressional delegation during their visit to Moldova. The delegation included Senators John McCain, John Barrasso, John Hoeven, and Ron Johnson, who represent several committees in the US Congress.

YEREVAN, 17 April 2014- Ambassador Angelo Gnaedinger, OSCE Special Representative for the South Caucasus, held consultations with high-ranking officials of Armenia in Yerevan from 15-17 April 2014...

The situation in Western and Central Ukraine (Kyiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi) remained calm and stable on 16 April with a routine police presence. In Kharkiv, Dnepropetrovsk, Kherson and Odessa districts the situation is stable. On highways in these areas, roadblocks have been built to secure districts from forces opposed to the Kyiv government. In Luhansk and Donetsk the situation was cause for serious concern due to the ongoing occupation of some administrative buildings and capture of other strategic locations by armed individuals.

KYIV, 17 April 2014- The OSCE’s National Dialogue Project in Ukraine completed its field work today. The project was deployed in March 2014 to explore how the OSCE can contribute to social cohesion and tolerance amid the current crisis...

The situation in Western and Central Ukraine (Kyiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi) remained calm and stable with a routine police presence. Teams judged the situation in Kharkiv, Odessa and Kherson to be calmer, but the situation remained tense in the Dnepropetrovsk region, where roadblocks were being built to protect the region from groups opposed to the Kyiv government. In Luhansk and Donetsk the situation was cause for serious concern due to the ongoing occupation of some administrative buildings and capture of other strategic locations by armed individuals.