VIENNA, March 5 (RIA Novosti) – The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said Wednesday that it would send 35 unarmed military personnel to Ukraine to dispel concerns about “unusual military activities” in the south of the country.
“The military visit’s participants are on their way to Ukraine now,” the organization said in a statement.
Thousands of unidentified troops under apparent command from Russia have taken control over Ukrainian military bases across the Crimea over the past week.
Russia’s parliament has given its approval to military intervention in Ukraine, ostensibly for peace-keeping purposes. But Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied that Russian troops are already deployed, and has described the well-armed troops seen driving around Crimea in vehicles bearing Russian military license plates as “local militia.”
Ukraine has requested all OSCE participating states to send their military representatives on March 5-12, starting in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa, which is not in Crimea.
The request was filed under Vienna Document 2011, a conflict-prevention agreement under which inspections and evaluation visits can be conducted on the territory of member states to gain information about unusual or worrying military activities.
So far, 18 OSCE member states have responded positively to the request and sent one or two representatives each. The mission will also include a representative from the OSCE Conflict Prevention Center.
“It is my hope that this military visit will help to de-escalate tensions in Ukraine. By providing an objective assessment of the facts on the ground, the OSCE will be better placed to foster a political solution to the current crisis through dialogue," OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier said.
