The Parliament of the Russian Federation on Monday decided to suspend paying fees to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

"Today (Monday - ed.), the parliament (the State Duma) considered the issue of Russia's payment of contributions to the budget of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation. It was decided to suspend the payment of contributions for 2023 and re-credit for this year the contribution that Russia paid in 2022," said Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation.

According to him, the Russian delegation came across attempts to obstruct the work of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, therefore Moscow does not see the point of "paying for something in which they did not participate."

"If they do not allow us to work this year, we will demand to return previously paid contribution," he added.

Back in January, the head of the Russian delegation to the OSCE PA, Pyotr Tolstoy, said that Russia was to reconsider the issue of payments to OSCE PA if their delegation was not allowed to participate in its work.

From November 2022, the permanent delegation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has been boycotting the organisation's work (Ukr) after its Standing Committee could not change the rules in order to expel Russia.

In particular, Ukrainian MPs did not participate in the Winter Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Austria, instead organising a protest action (Ukr) with representatives of the Ukrainian community.

Last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised OSCE for insufficient efforts to make Russia stop its war against Ukraine. Zelenskyy pointed out that Russia is still a member of the OSCE PA even after nine months of constant crimes.