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.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov faced Western critics while attending international security talks Thursday in Northern Macedonia, where he blamed “NATO’s reckless expansion to the East” for war returning to Europe.

By Andrew Gray, Francois Murphy and Ingrid Melander BRUSSELS/VIENNA (Reuters) -Member countries are divided over the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's annual foreign ministers' meeting on Thursday with Baltic nations and Ukraine refusing to attend over the presence of Russia's Sergei Lavrov.

Lavrov told a meeting of OSCE ministers in North Macedonia that the organisation was an "appendage" of NATO and the EU, before walking out.

Officials walk out as Russia’s Sergei Lavrov speaks at European security meeting - Foreign ministers of Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania had said they would not attend the talks due to Mr Lavrov