Russia and Western countries in the OSCE agreed on the 2026 budget amid confrontation
Quick Look
- Russia and Western countries in the OSCE agreed on a budget for 2026 based on an overall reduction in the organization's spending, despite the general confrontation.
- The final budget indicators corresponded to Russia’s position, said Russian Permanent Representative to the OSCE Dmitry Polyansky in Vienna.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Russia and Western countries in the OSCE are in a state of general confrontation, which previously prevented the coordination of even technical issues, including the organization’s budget.
Russia and Western countries in the OSCE, against the backdrop of general confrontation, are still agreeing only on technical and administrative issues, Dmitry Polyansky, the Russian permanent representative to the organization, told RIA Novosti.
“These are primarily administrative issues. For example, for the first time in four years we were able to agree on the budget for 2026,” he said.
The diplomat noted that budget approval was hampered by various reasons, not always related to Russia’s position. According to him, a number of states were not ready to support the proposals of the chairmanship and secretariat of the organization.
“We have opposed and continue to oppose increasing the budget for a number of humanitarian organizations, in particular the ODIHR, working within the third humanitarian “basket,” often without regard to the principle of consensus and in the interests of promoting Western approaches,” the permanent representative explained.
As a result, the parties managed to reach an agreement based on a general reduction in the organization’s expenses. The agency's interlocutor emphasized that the final budget indicators corresponded to Russia's position. “The final figures did not contradict our position. Otherwise, we would not have supported the budget,” he clarified.
Open Questions
- By what amount has the OSCE budget been reduced for 2026?
- Which humanitarian organizations were excluded from the increased funding?
- Are Western countries ready for further dialogue on political issues in the OSCE?
