Russia votes on suspending participation in OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

Russia’s parliament plans to vote on Feb. 21 to suspend its participation in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, citing concerns over the organization’s alleged political bias toward Washington

On Tuesday, Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin announced that Russia’s parliament will vote on Feb. 21 to suspend the country’s involvement in the Parliamentary Assembly (PA) of the Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE), not the OSCE main body itself.

The OSCE, comprising 57 members including Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia, originated as a Cold War-era platform for engagement between Soviet and Western powers. However, since the war in Ukraine started, the organization has been largely incapacitated by Moscow’s frequent use of its effective veto power.

Addressing a Duma meeting, Volodin stated, “It’s time for us to bid farewell to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.” He criticized the organization for lacking independence, being heavily politicized, and seemingly following Washington’s directives. Additionally, Volodin highlighted the financial burden on Russia as one of the largest contributors.

Volodin revealed that both chambers of the Russian parliament, the Duma and the Federation Council, will vote simultaneously on suspending participation in the OSCE PA and halting financial contributions to the organization.

Last year, Ukraine and its Baltic allies, neighboring Russia, boycotted the OSCE annual foreign ministers meeting due to the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Source: Newsroom

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