The OSCE is not the only international body where the West and Russia meet. Lavrov still attends Group of 20 events around the world and the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's annual foreign ministers' meeting on Thursday has split member states, with Baltic nations and Ukraine refusing to attend over the presence of Russia's Sergei Lavrov and urging others to as well.

Top diplomats from more than 50 countries are arriving in North Macedonia while others are boycotting the expected presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

Ukraine said on Tuesday its foreign minister would boycott a meeting of the OSCE in North Macedonia this week because Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov intends to take part for the first time during the 21-month full-scale invasion.

North Macedonia is preparing to hold a meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The event is already accompanied by a scandal as Ukraine and several other countries have refused to participate in the meeting.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania’s foreign ministers have objected to the presence of Russia’s Sergei Lavrov in Skopje.