German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has accused Russia of playing a “cynical game” as she arrived in Malta for a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
“Just as Russia uses bombs and drones to achieve peace and security in Europe, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is also taking the ax to the OSCE,” Baerbock said before the start of the two-day meeting of OSCE foreign ministers, attended by Russian Sergei Lavrov.
The OSCE remains a central piece of the puzzle to guarantee peace, freedom and security in Europe, Baerbock argued.
“We will not allow Putin to bombard our common peace into dust and ashes, nor will we allow Russia to play its cynical game here without comment,” Baerbock said.
Baerbock rejected claims that Russia’s isolation was eased after a phone call between Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The international community must continue to oppose Russia’s “hybrid war game,” the foreign minister added.
