Overview
- The 57-state gathering closed without a ministerial communiqué, with barely over 30 countries represented at foreign‑minister level.
- U.S. envoy Brendan Hanrahan demanded cuts of roughly €15 million and a shift toward field missions, warning Washington will reassess participation if reforms are not met by the end of 2026.
- Russia rejected any dilution of the unanimity rule, with Sergei Lavrov defending consensus and Moscow’s OSCE representative lamenting a shrinking space for dialogue.
- Participants discussed a potential OSCE role in monitoring a future Ukraine ceasefire, yet officials said no operational plan exists and any deployment would require unanimous approval.
- Switzerland will assume the 2026 chair as the organisation enters the new year without an approved budget and with the 2027 chairmanship unresolved after Turkey vetoed Cyprus.