Deterrence is not a threat: UK statement to the OSCE

The United Kingdom’s representative at the OSCE, Arron Newble, refuted Russia’s claim that deterrence constitutes a threat, questioning which armed attack under Article 51 justifies Moscow’s narrative. The UK expressed solidarity with Bulgaria and Malta following recent Black Sea incidents, while reaffirming unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. The statement also underscored the UK’s commitment to a just and lasting peace in the region.

The UK criticised Russia’s presentation to the OSCE, which cited twenty slides alleging threats from the West, noting that every cited example relied on a hypothetical Russian attack. The UK highlighted that none of the cited Western statements described plans to attack Russia, arguing that what remained were deterrence measures, which are not threats but promises that aggression will fail.

The UK emphasised that NATO is a defensive alliance and not at war with Russia, stating that increases in defence spending, force posture adjustments, and new NATO members since 2022 are direct responses to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It recalled the 1997 NATO-Russia declaration that they did not consider each other adversaries, attributing the abandonment of this commitment to Russia’s repeated use of force against sovereign states.

The UK challenged Russia’s invocation of Article 51, stating that this provision permits self-defence only after an armed attack occurs. It noted that Ukraine did not attack Russia and that Russia has not identified any armed attack to justify its invasion. The UK also rejected Russia’s claim that States supporting Ukraine have become parties to the conflict, affirming that assisting the victim of aggression is lawful under international law.