The situation in Ukraine was discussed at the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna today. Norway strongly criticised Ukraine for the way in which the presidential election was conducted, as it was in violation of international standards for free and fair elections on a number of points. Norway urged Ukraine to investigate the reports of election fraud and review all aspects of the election in order to ensure that the results are in accordance with democratic principles. It was also stressed in the Norwegian statement that the tense situation must be resolved without the use of force and that any use of violence against peaceful protesters would have a negative impact on the relations between Ukraine and the international community. All OSCE Participating States share a responsibility for contributing to a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

Norway also stressed that Ukraine’s ambition to integrate fully into Euro-Atlantic structures can only be achieved if the country acts in compliance with international standards and democratic values.