Yulia Jdanova said weapons sent to Ukraine by Western OSCE member states are significantly fueling illegal arms trafficking. Jdanova heads Russia’s delegation to the military security and arms control talks in Vienna.
In remarks at the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation meeting on September 23, Jdanova described the shipments to the Kyiv authorities as a primary source of illegal arms circulation.
She compared the shipments with OSCE documents
The head of the Russian delegation argued that the arms transfers violate the OSCE Principles Governing Conventional Arms Transfers and the obligations set out in the OSCE document on small arms and light weapons.
The documents cited by Jdanova state that transfers of weapons that could be used to violate or suppress human rights and fundamental freedoms should be avoided. The texts also set out obligations concerning shipments that could threaten the national security of other states, prolong or intensify an ongoing conflict, or create destabilizing military capabilities in any region.
Jdanova said weapons should not be used for purposes other than those intended in the recipient country or re-exported for purposes that contradict the objectives of the documents. She also recalled that the documents contain provisions against supporting terrorism and using weapons for repressive purposes.