Turkish diplomat Feridun Sinirlioglu has been named as the next leader of the OSCE, the world's largest regional security organization, following tense talks in Malta. The OSCE has been paralyzed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has been without a secretary general since September. Sinirlioglu hopes to act as a bridge and facilitator between participating states and has called on Russia to release three OSCE officials held in Russian-controlled Ukraine. The meeting in Malta was dominated by criticism of Russia, with Ukraine boycotting last year's OSCE meeting over the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.