Austria has been criticized for allowing 18 Russian MPs to attend an Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) meeting in Vienna on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The head of the committee on foreign affairs of the Latvian parliament, Rihards Kols, staged a memorable performance at the meeting, protesting in an unusual way.

The 22nd winter session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly took place on Thursday in the Hofburg Congress Center in Vienna. Even before the meeting, the OSCE – and Austria, as the organization’s host country – were sharply criticized for allowing the presence of the Russian delegation, which included sanctioned persons, writes News.ro.

“There is an elephant in this room called the delegation of the Russian Federation”

And if the delegations of Ukraine and Lithuania in the OSCE decided to boycott the meeting in order not to side with the Russians, the Latvian parliamentarian, the head of the foreign policy committee of the parliament of his country, chose another form of protest. .

He gave a sharp speech, finally addressing the Russians directly with the famous words that the Ukrainians defending Snake Island told them at the beginning of the invasion.

• “In this room there is an elephant called the delegation of the Russian Federation.
• If I were a witness and someone asked me: Who is a war criminal?, I would point to the back benches in this room.
• It’s just a shame. It’s a shame that this delegation is here, especially a delegation made up of people under sanctions who voted to annex territories of an independent country…
• It is these principles that this institution is entrusted to protect and protect! And we are standing as if nothing happened!”, said Richards Kols in English, and behind him the Ukrainian flag was unfurled.

But he ended with a Russian, well-known quote that might not be considered very diplomatic, but which he thought was quite appropriate for the occasion: “Russian warship, go to hell!”.

Here’s the moment:

Austria has been sharply criticized for admitting 18 Russian parliamentarians to a security meeting

Eighteen Russian parliamentarians are participating Thursday and Friday in the winter session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which critics say gives Russia a platform to “justify its aggression” and “cover up war crimes” even a year after the aggression. to a neighboring state.

The debate at this year’s OSCE meeting is entitled “One Year: Continuation of Russia’s Full-Scale War Against Ukraine.”

The leader of the Ukrainian delegation, Mykyta Poturaev, said that the meeting should have been postponed. Russia’s involvement “undermines its integrity and compromises the clear position it has demonstrated on Russian aggression,” he said.

“Unfortunate Moment”

Responding to the appeal of parliamentarians from 20 member states to refuse visas to Russian MPs who, as Duma deputies, are subject to EU sanctions, the Austrian Foreign Minister admitted that the moment was “unfortunate”.

But as the host of the OSCE – the 57-member organization created during the Cold War as a forum for discussions between the Western and Eastern blocs – Austria was obliged to allow the entry of delegations from all participating countries, Alexander Schallenberg explained.

• “But at the same time, we must not ignore the fact that we need platforms” for discussions, Schallenberg told Austrian television. “The OSCE has never been an organization of like-minded people. At some point, we hope that diplomacy will be given space again,” he said.

An open letter about Austria’s rejection of neutrality

Austrian media reported that the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) invited Russian parliamentarians to the academicians’ ball, an annual formal event for politicians and nationalists at the Hofburg Palace, where the OSCE is permanently based.

The head of the Russian delegation, the vice-president of the State Duma, Petro Tolstoy, told the Austrian press agency APA that he “does not plan other events, balls, receptions and so on”, but intends to “work for the conference”. February 23 and 24,” The Guardian reports.

According to the agreement signed between Austria and the OSCE, the issuance of visas “is not a matter of discretion, but a matter of legal obligation,” the OSCE said, adding that they would be valid only for Austria and only for the duration of the two-day meeting.

Meanwhile, a group of around 100 Austrian figures have signed a second open letter to the government, urging it to abandon seven decades of neutrality and recognize that the security situation in Europe has changed dramatically.

• “Many Austrians still seem to believe that we can stay out of all military conflicts, that only a peaceful foreign policy guarantees our security and that our active participation in the stabilization of Europe is unnecessary.
• These ideas are an expression of the contradiction between Austrian and world reality. They are dangerous for both Austria and Europe,” the signatories write.