Russian Demands Risk Making OSCE 'Brain Dead' Group, Lithuania Says.

The Baltic countries of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, along with Ukraine, have announced that they will not attend a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) after the organization invited Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to participate. The countries believe that Lavrov's attendance would provide Russia with a propaganda opportunity and legitimize its actions. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis expressed concern that the OSCE is at risk of becoming "brain dead" as Western allies negotiate with Russia over top jobs and the organization's chairmanship. The tensions over the OSCE come at a time when the US and the European Union are struggling to agree on more funds for Ukraine. [Extracted from the article]