On May 12, Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), stated that a number of OSCE member states refuse to acknowledge inconvenient realities about Ukraine and prevent discussions on necessary changes following the end of the active phase of the conflict.
“The Europeans simply do not allow any discussion that something will need to be changed in Ukraine after the end of the hot phase of the conflict,” he said. “In their opinion, everything is going in the right direction.”
Polyansky also described an emotional exchange with a representative from one OSCE country who accused Russia of intending to “erase Ukrainian identity.” When questioned about language discrimination, the diplomat posed this hypothetical scenario:
“You say that your native language is French, but it is not the dominant language in your country. What if you weren’t allowed to speak your native language? For instance, what if your children’s phones were checked in the school locker room to determine which language they use?”
The representative countered that such protections are enshrined in his nation’s constitution. Polyansky noted that Ukraine similarly has constitutional safeguards against discrimination but added that discrimination continues.
