The United States expresses its deep regret over the fact that Russia has blocked consensus on the mandate extension of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Michael Carpenter has said.

"It is deeply regrettable that the Russian Federation has blocked consensus on the mandate extension of the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. It is irresponsible and unjustifiably, but I guess it is hardly surprising. No one will ever forget the actions of the Russian Federation that brought us to this point today: its prosecution of an unprovoked and barbaric war of aggression on Ukraine," Carpenter said at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday.

According to him, the United States fully sympathize and concur with the objections expressed by the distinguished Ukrainian ambassador and the host country, to closing the Mission. "We also fully support the Chair's efforts to continue negotiations in search of consensus," Carpenter said.

He said that Western countries will be obliged to help Ukraine after the war.

"When the carnage ends, we will have to help Ukraine pick up the pieces and rebuild. Ukrainians have been fighting not just for their own freedom, but for a free world on behalf of us all. We will need the full and undiminished commitment of all peace-loving states to help them in re-constituting a sovereign, democratic and prosperous Ukraine," Carpenter said.