Meet Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia's New Top Diplomat to the OSCE in Vienna
At the beginning of 2026, Dmitry Polyanskiy officially took office as the new Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna. In his first keynote speech, the experienced diplomat made clear demands on Switzerland, which holds the chairmanship of the organization this year.
H.E. Dmitry Polyanskiy (l.), Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the OSCE, with the OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu (r.). / Picture: © OSCE / ID: 661555, (CC BY-ND 4.0)
Dmitry Alexeyevich Polyanskiy, born in 1971, is no stranger to the international stage. The trained Orientalist and international economist looks back on a career spanning more than 30 years in the Russian Foreign Ministry. Prior to his appointment in Vienna, he served as First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations in New York since 2018.
Polyanskiy is considered a highly skilled polyglot; in addition to Russian, he speaks a total of eight languages, including German, English, Arabic, and Polish. In Vienna, he replaces Alexander Lukashevich, who in turn is moving to Minsk as Russia's representative to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) bodies.
Warning against the “Ukrainization” of the OSCE
In his first speech to the OSCE Permanent Council on January 15, 2026, Polyanskiy did not hold back in his criticism of the organization's direction to date. He accused the previous Finnish chairmanship of putting the OSCE into a state of “artificial coma” by “totally Ukrainizing” the agenda.
“The survival of our organization will depend on Bern's actions,” Polyanskiy emphasized. He called on Switzerland to act as an “honest broker” and promote a balanced agenda that strictly follows the OSCE's consensus principles. Russia also called for a return to substantive issues such as combating terrorism, drug trafficking, and cybersecurity.
The Russian strategy: security and economy
Polyanskiy stressed that a sustainable peace settlement in Europe is only possible if the “legitimate security interests” of all parties, including Russia, are taken into account. He warned Swiss diplomats not to repeat the mistakes of their predecessors, who, in his view, had unilaterally protected the Kiev regime.
At the same time, Moscow called for a discussion on “thawing” trade and transport routes in Europe in order to be able to compete again in the global economy.
An experienced diplomat for difficult times
Switzerland has taken over the chairmanship at a time of deep diplomatic rifts. Switzerland's official motto and priorities focus on confidence-building and reviving dialogue, which partly coincides with Polyanskiy's call for “pragmatic dialogue,” but is meeting with massive resistance from Western partners in its implementation (especially in the Ukraine conflict).
Since the breakdown in relations between Russia and the West, the OSCE has faced massive budget problems and blockages in personnel decisions, as these must be made unanimously (by consensus). Polyanskiy was already elevated to the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in July 2021, underscoring the importance Moscow attaches to the post in Vienna.
More information on Mr. Polyanskiy:
| Period / Category | Professional Station / Details |
|---|---|
| Personal Data | Born 1971 in Moscow. Married, has one daughter. |
| Education | 1993: Graduate of the Institute of Asian and African Countries at Lomonosov Moscow State University (Specialization: Oriental Historian). 2011: Graduate of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Specialization: International Economist). |
| Early Diplomatic Career (Since 1993) | Various diplomatic positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; served at Russian embassies in Tunisia, Germany, Sweden, Austria, and Slovenia. |
| 2008 – 2011 | Minister-Counsellor at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Poland. |
| 2011 – 2016 | Deputy Director of the First Department for CIS Countries. Focused on Eurasian economic integration, the Eurasian Economic Union, and the Customs Union within the WTO framework. |
| 2015 – 2018 | Head of the Representative Office of the Moscow-Taipei Coordination Commission for Economic and Cultural Cooperation. |
| 2018 – 2025 | First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations in New York. |
| Since January 2026 | Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the OSCE in Vienna. |
| Languages | Fluent in Russian, English, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, German, Polish, and French. |
| Diplomatic Rank & Awards | Rank: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (awarded July 2021). Awards: Order of Friendship (2021), Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" II class (2015). |