OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities on urgent mission to Ukraine

Astrid Thors, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, arrived in Ukraine on Sunday, 2 March 2014, to assess first-hand the situation on the ground, especially regarding the Crimean peninsula. 

Starting on Tuesday, she will participate in a high-level OSCE delegation, including Ambassador Tim Guldimann, the Special Envoy of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, as part of OSCE efforts to de-escalate the crisis.

Prior to departing, Thors said, "I am deeply concerned about the escalating risk of violent conflict on the Crimean peninsula.  I again urge all actors to exercise restraint in their actions and to use all means available for de-escalation and the peaceful resolution of the present tensions.”