‘NATO, OSCE not helping Ukraine diplomacy: Russia

Russia has criticized the interference of a number of international organizations in Ukraine crisis, saying the groups’ attempts are not contributing to diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the current turmoil in the Eastern European country.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said attempts by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) “do not help create an atmosphere for dialogue and constructive cooperation.”

The top Russian diplomat also noted that the meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will take place as planned on April 4 and diplomats from Russia and Ukraine may meet before that time.

The statement comes a day after the NATO military alliance announced a full review of its cooperation agreements with Russia over Moscow’s involvement in Ukraine.

The UN Security Council is expected to hold a closed-door meeting on the latest developments in Ukraine.

Moreover, leaders of the European Union (EU) are planning to hold emergency talks in Brussels later on Thursday, to decide how to respond to Russia’s troop deployment in Ukraine’ southern Crimea region.

The OSCE is also reportedly sending an observer mission to crisis-stricken Ukraine.

The US and its European allies have repeatedly threatened Russia with sanctions over its actions in Ukraine specially its military build-up in the Ukrainian territory of Crimea.

Moscow sent hundreds of its forces to Crimea after the Russian parliament authorized President Vladimir Putin to use armed forces “to protect Russia’s interests in that region.”

Political crisis erupted in Ukraine in November last year, when the country’s now-ousted President Victor Yanukovych refrained from signing an Association Agreement with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Moscow.