Select committee: Defence Committee
Recommendation 8
First Report - Russia and Ukraine border tensions
Published 6 Jul 2021
Paragraph 51
Addressed to Ministry of Defence
Defence Committee Russia and Ukraine border tensions All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
Russia must honour its commitments under the Vienna Document as an OSCE participating State and fully co-operate in OSCE meetings to support confidence and security-building measures and de-escalate conflict. The UK should, with its Allies, use the OSCE mechanisms in the Helsinki Final Act to hold Russia to account, and if necessary, bring the dispute before the OSCE’s Court of Conciliation and Arbitration.
From: Defence Committee, First Report - Russia and Ukraine border tensions (HC 167), paragraph 51, 6 July 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 23 September 2021.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government welcomes the Committee's report and, in its response, agrees with or welcomes most recommendations, while only "noting" several others, including those on Kerch Strait restrictions, troop withdrawal and Russia's red lines.
- On Russia's Kerch Strait restrictions, the Government "notes" the recommendation, including the call to back Ukraine's UNCLOS dispute efforts, and says it is "committed to asserting Freedom of Navigation where it is challenged".
- The Government "agrees" that Russia must honour its Vienna Document commitments and has obligations to notify the OSCE of exercises, but does not address the suggestion of bringing a dispute before the OSCE's Court of Conciliation and Arbitration.
- On military support, it commits that "The Department will provide annual updates on the progress of the naval capabilities programme to the Committee." No date is given.
- On the Indo-Pacific tilt, it says "The UK is not deprioritising any regions" and that Defence will "carefully manage its policy, processes and well-honed planning mechanisms designed to preclude over-stretch".