Ukraine shuns OSCE gathering in Vienna over Russian presence

VIENNA (AP) — A meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s parliamentary assembly has gotten underway without Ukraine’s delegation, which is boycotting the event. The Ukrianians described the presence of Russian lawmakers at the event as “an affront.” The two-day meeting of the normally low-profile assembly coincides with the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Austria said that as the host nation it was obliged to grant visas to all representatives from OSCE member nations even though the Russian lawmakers are under European Union sanctions. The president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly said Thursday she sympathized “with the fact that some members find it unbearable to sit in the same room as the aggressors.”