Russia intends to withdraw from the OSCE
The suspension of the Russian Federation's participation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is to be voted on by the Russian Parliament on February 21. The announcement was made by the President of the State Duma, Veaceslav Volodin, who has already submitted an approach to this effect to President Vladimir Putin.
"It's time to say goodbye to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The organization lacks absolute independence, is politicized and pleases Washington. But the worst thing in this situation is that we still pay money", said the President of the State Duma, Veaceslav Volodin.
According to Volodin, who has already submitted an approach to the Kremlin leader, the two chambers of the Russian Parliament, the State Duma and the Federation Council, will vote simultaneously to suspend the participation of the Russian Federation and stop Moscow's financial contribution to the OSCE.
As the United Russia party - which supports President Vladimir Putin - holds an overwhelming majority in parliament, the resolution is unlikely to face opposition.
The Duma is also considering the possibility of Russia leaving other international organizations.
The OSCE has 57 members, including Ukraine, the US and Russia. The assembly was created in 1991 to facilitate the achievement of objectives such as the prevention and resolution of conflicts, but also the strengthening of democratic institutions in member countries.
Last summer, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly officially recognized Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism due to its support of the Wagner Group. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the organization's work has been practically paralyzed by Moscow's use of the veto. The Kremlin uses blackmail and outright threats to block key issues, such as Estonia's candidacy for the presidency of the organization.
At the end of 2023, Ukraine and its Baltic allies refused to participate in the annual meeting of OSCE foreign ministers due to the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov.
