Neutrality in context of Russia's war against Ukraine is not option – US Ambassador to OSCE

This was stated by the US Permanent Representative to the OSCE Michael Carpenter during the 15th annual Kyiv Security Forum, organised by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation.

"What we are witnessing today is a clash of systems. For the first time since World War II, we see such geopolitical competition. What is happening in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, the South Caucasus, on the borders with Iran and Syria, in China and North Korea. Again, we have democratic countries on the one hand and autocracies on the other. And this clash of systems takes place on three levels," he said.

The second dimension of this confrontation, said the US representative to the OSCE, is at the level of the countries' institutions.

"On the one hand, we have democratic systems where powers come from the bottom up, on the other hand, powers come only from the top and there is no system of mutual checks and balances, no political pluralism," he said.

"At the third level, we see a clash of systems, which is manifested in the international system. Some countries respect international law, the United Nations Charter, the rules and customs enshrined in the Geneva documents. And here Russia has violated every conceivable and unimaginable rule and procedure of the above documents," said Michael Carpenter.

"Ukraine has to win this imperative, which should define success for democratic systems and the international order at all three of these levels. Therefore, we must provide all the necessary political and economic assistance to ensure that the entire free world stands with Ukraine," added the US ambassador to the OSCE.

"Military neutrality in this war is not an option, because then we are again faced with all three levels of systemic conflict. Today, countries are ready to invest in Ukraine's victory, in democratic institutions, and consider comprehensive security, and only together can we achieve this vision," he concluded.