For Ukrainian diplomat Yurii Vitrenko, the Russian representatives in the international organisations are not diplomats, but part of the Kremlin’s propaganda machine.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is either declared dead or perceived as a hope for the future. Yurii Vitrenko is Ukraine's Ambassador to the International organisations in Vienna, and thus also to the OSCE. What hopes does Ukraine place in the international rule-based order, and what conclusions does it draw from rapidly changing alliances?

The OSCE currently seems rather paralyzed. Is it still a tool for the political future?

Yurii Vitrenko: Well, it's a very interesting animal. First of all, it is, for us - Ukraine, and the entire free democratic world - an instrument for exposing Russian crimes. So, it is significant as a tool to hold Russia accountable for crimes, lies, and subversive diplomacy. Another dimension is the extra-budgetary projects within the Support Program for Ukraine - including those for demining. These projects are, of course, not groundbreaking, but they still have a tangible impact.

The OSCE is also based on core principles such as the preservation of the territorial integrity of its member states. Is it a mistake that Russia still has a seat at the table?

Yurii Vitrenko: It's a major mistake. It's a tragedy. But I could also ask how it is possible that Russia still sits in the UN Security Council, deciding with its right hand on war and peace, while with its left hand, it wages a war of aggression against another UN member state, kills on an industrial scale, and denies another member state's right to exist. We can, of course, in the OSCE context, ask how it is possible that a country which has violated every single principle of the Helsinki Final Act and doesn’t pay its contributions to the OSCE, is still sitting at the table. But we must keep in mind that the OSCE is a strange - very strange - political animal. It is a forum, a platform. And almost every decision requires consensus. Therefore, we cannot expel Russia. Russia has a partner in crime: Belarus. And, unfortunately, we also cannot count on some other OSCE participating states in this matter.

The UN Security Council, the OSCE: from your point of view, are they kind of dead but still functioning structures of a bygone era?

Yurii Vitrenko: The international security architecture is nowadays almost useless. We are witnessing a decline or even a collapse of current international structures.

How would you currently describe relations with the USA?

Yurii Vitrenko: They are a very strong ally. We have many joint projects, and many initiatives were implemented together in the OSCE. Their diplomatic approach is changing. But I am confident that we will get through this phase. We still have an excellent working relationship and partnership. But unfortunately, Russia is deliberately exploiting this phase of reassessment to return to "business as usual" - to the time before the start of Russian aggression in 2014. They are trying to use the OSCE to pretend that nothing happened. However, I am completely confident that Russia will remain isolated in the OSCE.

Why is Russia still present in the OSCE?

Yurii Vitrenko: Their embassies abroad are little factories of lies and disinformation. And that’s why they need every international platform. Personally, I do not consider Russian diplomats as diplomats. They are instruments of the Russian propaganda machine. By the way, we just recently caught Moscow red-handed: Russia presented fake newspaper covers at the OSCE to "prove" that Western support for Ukraine is waning.

The presence of a large Russian delegation in Austria is often justified by the argument that Vienna is a platform for dialogue. But is dialogue even possible under these conditions?

Yurii Vitrenko: As long as Russia does not discard its claim that Ukraine doesn’t exist, it makes no sense to talk to them. First, they must abandon their genocidal intentions. In any case, Putin is doing future tribunals a great favour when he openly says that Ukraine was created by Lenin or that it’s not a normal country or just a misunderstanding.

What do you think is Vladimir Putin’s goal?

Yurii Vitrenko: He has openly said that he is willing to fight this war for 20 years or so, just like Peter the First. Putin wants to go down in history as one of those czars who created and expanded the Russian Empire. And that is probably his only goal. And as long as he pursues this revisionist, neo-imperialist agenda, there can be no dialogue with this country.

(Stefan Schocher for Der Standard, 9 April 2025)