The Russian delegation's statements at the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) were shocking, according to the President of the Luxembourgish delegation, Gusty Graas.

The member of the Democratic Party (DP) and four other MPs were present when the scandal unfolded during a meeting in Vienna.

The war in Ukraine was at the centre of two-day long discussions in the Austrian capital. The fact that Russia, the aggressor, was still allowed to participate and that its delegates were issued visas by Austria drew criticism even before the summit started.

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"I personally had a lot of reservations about it; I'd have rather Russia had not been there," Graas stated. In fact, the MP said that the statements made by Russian and Belarussian delegates had "shocked" him.

"It was really bad. They painted this image of the west as if we were all a bunch of Nazis, and we were practically equated with Hitler. It was unacceptable, and many people were furious. They've further disqualified themselves," according to Graas.

Many delegations, including some of the Luxembourgish MPs, left the room out of protest. Graas would have liked to see the Austrian presidency handle the situation "in a slightly stricter way." The MP believes that further sanctions against Russia are necessary. For Graas, the highlight of the summit was the meeting with the Ukrainian delegation.

According to the MP, "they made the very interesting statement that they think the war will be decided in four to five months," either in favour of one side or the other. "Ukraine now urgently needs tanks and planes to defend itself; they need all the help they can get," Graas stressed.

The Ukrainian and Lithuanian delegations did not attend the main meetings out of protest. The Ukrainians also tabled a revision to the OSCE statutes that would allow Russia to be suspended. The Luxembourgish delegation also supported the proposal.

Graas rejects the argument that the OSCE is the only institution left to engage in dialogue with Russia.