Russia announced on Wednesday that it will suspend its participation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), citing “hatred towards Russia” and “discrimination” amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The decision was adopted by both houses of the Russian parliament. The Russian Senate stated that the “biased and discriminatory approaches, double standards, and outright hatred for Russia” demonstrate the significant deterioration of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly as a mechanism for parliamentary cooperation.
The Senate’s statement, released on Telegram, noted that multiple calls from Russian parliamentarians for “equal parliamentary dialogue and the establishment of a European security structure” were not met with understanding or appropriate responses from OSCE leaders.
Consequently, Russian senators and members of the State Duma deemed it justified and legitimate to suspend the Russian delegation’s participation in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, as well as Russia’s contribution to the organization’s budget.
The State Duma also issued a similar statement on Wednesday.
Founded in 1975, the OSCE was established as a platform for dialogue between the Western and Soviet blocs during the Cold War.
Today, the organization comprises 57 member states. Since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022, the OSCE has faced its most severe crisis in history.
Ukraine has repeatedly called for Russia’s exclusion from the OSCE, similar to Russia’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe in 2022. However, these calls have so far been unsuccessful.
