Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, during negotiations with current OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani, drew attention to the problem of Russia taking civilian hostages, for which Russia should be held accountable.

"I also drew attention to the problem of Russia's taking of civilian hostages. This Russian crime is unprecedented in scale in modern history. We are already seeing how Russia's terrorist partners around the world have begun to repeat it. Russia must be held accountable for the practice of mass civilian captivity if we don't want it to become an instrument of terror around the world," Kuleba said at a press conference with current OSCE Chairman-in-Office Bujar Osmani in Kyiv.

As the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said, the OSCE has the capabilities and institutional ability to pay attention to this issue and propose a solution.

"We also expect that the Macedonian Chairmanship, together with the secretariat, will continue efforts to release three OSCE SMM workers whom Russia has held for over500 days. Here we are acting together with the organization. We want and strive to save these people and will actively work on this," Kuleba said.

Kuleba also thanked North Macedonia for political, military and humanitarian assistance, support for Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

"Thank you to North Macedonia for supporting the Peace Formula of President Zelenskyy, active participation in the events of Crimea Platform and other Ukrainian initiatives. We also appreciate North Macedonia's accession to the G7 Declaration of Support for Ukraine. North Macedonia and Ukraine are true friends," the minister said.

For Osmani, this is his second visit to Ukraine this year in the status of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office.