One of the first steps taken by the European Union after Russia's military attack on Ukraine on February 24 last year was to impose sanctions on key political actors from the aggressor's country.

This also applies to many parliamentarians in Moscow whose assets have been frozen in western countries and who have been banned from entering the country.

Stephen Lowenstein

Political correspondent based in Vienna.

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But now it is becoming apparent that a large number of these MPs will be allowed to travel to Austria, and of all things on the anniversary of the invasion.

Because on February 23 and 24, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will be held at the headquarters of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna's Hofburg.

The Austrian Foreign Ministry has already announced that it will not refuse the necessary visas to members of the Russian delegation, unlike the UK and Poland who did last year at OSCE events in their countries.

The Russian delegation is said to include, for example, Deputy Duma Chairman Pyotr Tolstoy, who says he wants to bomb Ukraine back to the 18th century, and Leonid Slutsky, who called for prisoners of war from the Azov steelworks in Mariupol to be executed.

A spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg told the FAZ that Austria was legally obliged to issue these visas.

Because unlike London or Warsaw, Vienna is the seat of the OSCE.

And the Headquarters Agreement, which is binding under international law, stipulates that Austria must allow delegates from all OSCE participating states to attend events organized by this international organization.

"This is not a matter of discretion, but an obligation for the country of domicile."

At the same time ball of the right FPÖ in Hofburg

But there is criticism from some EU partners behind the scenes.

From the Baltic States, for example, the information was spread that all members of the Russian delegation had voted for the Russian war of aggression and the annexation of Ukrainian territories and were therefore subject to EU sanctions.

It is regrettable, according to an unofficial letter, that political and moral arguments and consideration of the credibility of the OSCE and the European Union are not taken into account when Austria wants to issue visas with reference to the Headquarters Agreement.

The Ukrainian representative at the OSCE, Yevheniy Tsymbalyuk, expressed open criticism.

He told the Austrian newspaper Der Standard that Russia has been ruining the organization "for years".

It is to be feared that the Russian delegation will use the meeting for a “propaganda show”.

Warnings are being drawn from several quarters that a ball is being held in the Vienna Hofburg at the same time, which is being organized by the right-wing FPÖ as a celebration of academic connections.

With a friendship agreement concluded in 2017, the FPÖ is close to the United Russia party, which supports President Vladimir Putin.

The FPÖ also criticizes the European sanctions policy.

The Austrian Foreign Ministry states that the visas are only valid for the OSCE Assembly.

Attending a ball would constitute serious abuse.

It can be assumed that this was also communicated to the Permanent Representative of Russia to the OSCE.

It is unclear what options the Austrian authorities would have if the Russians took their chances.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the agreement on the headquarters of the OSCE also expressly states that anyone who undertakes "acts incompatible with the headquarters agreement" will be asked to leave the country.

Various delegations are examining protest scenarios

The OSCE is based on the policy of detente in the Cold War between NATO and the then Warsaw Pact.

After its end, the so-called Helsinki Process was consolidated in the organization based in Vienna.

57 states “between Vancouver and Vladivostok” belong to the OSCE.

In addition to criticism of Austria, other participating States also expressed the view that the OSCE as a platform is currently not relevant in view of the Russian aggression, but that this could turn out differently in the future.

Various delegations are now examining whether to stay away from the Parliamentary Assembly completely if the Russians are taking part, whether to take part under protest or whether to leave the room when Russian participants speak (“walk-out”).

Irrespective of the fact that the OSCE is based in Vienna, Austria's Foreign Minister Schallenberg has previously criticized the invitation of Russian participants to OSCE events.

When Poland refused entry to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in December to attend the OSCE summit in Lodz, the ÖVP politician commented: "Well, I really regret that and actually think it's a security policy own goal." Most recently, Schallenberg met in Kyiv to criticism when, in an interview, he called for a sense of proportion towards Russia.

"We must not overshoot the mark, for example by introducing a visa ban for 144 million Russians," he said in Paris in mid-January.

There is no doubt where Austria stands, said Schallenberg recently in the newspaper "Die Presse".

Vienna supports every decision against Russia in Brussels and contributes "intensively" to unity within the EU.

He himself was the first foreign minister of the Second Republic to declare a Russian diplomat persona non grata, said Schallenberg.

Nevertheless, it is important to think about the day after the war.

That is why one should not "wantonly destroy platforms for dialogue" like the OSCE, "which we will then need".