In a newspaper interview, he said that Europe is weakening „from within“. There is a „lack of trust“ between many states.
The head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has identified a trend towards nationalism that weakens Europe from within. „If you are no longer really interested in multilateral problem solving, then an organization and its tools to promote co-operative security will be less appealing, and that will eventually be at the expense of security,“ said OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger of the „Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung“.
Security situation „worrying“
More and more countries are putting up with this „as a result of more nationally oriented policies and governments should be more cautious“. The OSCE Secretary General considers the overall security situation in Europe to be „worrying“. Many actors are unpredictable and there is „an absolute lack of trust“ between Russia and the US and other Western states. „Our observers are finding more and more near-misses,“ Greminger said, warning: „We need to manage the military risks and drive back.“
The danger of an escalation Greminger sees in the conflict of Ukraine with Russia. „There is simply no political will for peace right now,“ he said. He feared a chain reaction in which fire from individual fires a conflagration arise. He hopes that „there will be political impulses from the Normandy group of four Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia“.
Peace in Ukraine in the far distance
Focal points are the „occupied Crimea“, the „illegal elections in the two rebel republics“ and the situation in Donbass, said the Swiss diplomat. He called on Russia, as a „de-escalating gesture“, to release the 24 sailors recently detained in the Straits of Kerch and release the three confiscated ships.
Russia and Ukraine should finally get out of the logic „Like me, so I give you.“ However, the OSCE Secretary General does not foresee a breakthrough for peace in the foreseeable future.
Weakness in cybersecurity
In addition to the conflict in Ukraine, military risks and the threat of a nuclear arms spiral, the OSCE chief sees a whole range of other threats to Europe, from terrorism to violent extremism, trafficking in human beings, arms and drugs, and cyber attacks.
In dealing with the digital challenges of warfare, Greminger sees his organization still under-resourced. „We are not geared up for the cyber age, I have a single cybersecurity specialist, and we are too weak to be truly sustainable and, above all, more proactive,“ said Greminger. He called for better financial resources from the OSCE member states in the area.
