On April 18, 2016, The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) hosted Ambassador Daniel Baer, U.S. permanent representative to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) for a roundtable discussion on the role of the OSCE as a mediator, prospects for its further development, and the current situation of the Ukrainian crisis. The debate was moderated by Ian Lesser, GMF’s senior director for foreign and security policy, and executive director of the Brussels office.

Ambassador Baer opened the discussion by briefly reflecting on the evolution of the OSCE’s role in Ukraine from monitoring the situation to active diplomatic efforts in order to deescalate the conflict. While commenting on Russian involvement in the crisis, he emphasized that “we should not rewrite the principles that have been broken, we should reinforce them.” During the following question and answer session, Ambassador Baer addressed the challenge of operating on the ground in eastern Ukraine, and upholding a constructive dialogue with the Russian Federation. He emphasized the OSCE’s determination to bring about, and maintain an open dialogue between the conflicting parties to ensure the implementation of the Minsk II Agreement.

If the Russian federation wants to see Minsk implementation it has to show willingness to work together with others. @usosce Amb. @danbbaer

— US Mission to the EU (@US2EU) April 18, 2016

In his closing remarks Ambassador Baer stressed the importance of European unity in light of the rise of terrorism, the refugee crisis, and the ongoing dispute with Russia. He called upon the community to develop a long-term strategy for tackling those issues based on the European Union’s fundamental values.

"I believe deeply in the European political project and its success." -@danbbaer pic.twitter.com/brn2stMtQE

— US Mission to the EU (@US2EU) April 18, 2016

Amb. @danbbaer on the EU's role: The EU has an important & critical role in the discussion in our security discussions related to #Ukraine

— US Mission to the EU (@US2EU) April 18, 2016

The discussion included over 30 participants from various permanent representations, missions, institutions, and think tanks based in Brussels, such as the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), and European Policy Centre (EPC).