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Moscow is urging Austria to fulfill its obligations to issue visas to Russian diplomats assigned to work at international organizations, Russian Ambassador to Austria Andrey Grozov told the newspaper Izvestia.

"The visa issue remains the most sensitive area, and we are seeking Vienna's compliance with its obligations, including those stemming from its role as the host country for international organizations," he said.

Coverage comparison

TASS reported on the visa dispute in two articles. The first, published July 31, focused on Grozov's remarks and highlighted earlier criticism by Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's Permanent Representative to the Vienna-based international organizations, who described Austria's visa policy as "outrageous" and said processing times had stretched to two years or longer.

The second, published August 4, expanded the scope, quoting Alexey Martynov, an associate professor at the Financial University under the Russian government and director of the International Institute of the Newly Established States. Martynov framed the issue as systemic, citing Austria, France, Switzerland, and the United States as denying visas to Russian diplomats and arguing that Western countries are coordinating pressure on Russia's diplomatic presence.

Key claims

  • Russian Ambassador to Austria Andrey Grozov told the newspaper Izvestia that Moscow is seeking Vienna's compliance with its obligations to issue visas to Russian diplomats, including those stemming from Austria's role as host country for international organizations.
  • Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's Permanent Representative to the Vienna-based international organizations, said Austria's visa policy was "outrageous" and that processing times had reached two years or longer, with no clear explanation from the Austrian side for the delays.
  • According to Alexey Martynov, Austria denied a visa to a candidate for deputy head of the Russian mission to Vienna-based international organizations after eight months of waiting. He also said the situation is systemic in nature.
  • Martynov noted that starting January 26, 2026, the Austrian foreign ministry introduced a requirement for Russian diplomats not accredited in the country to provide notifications about their movements inside the EU zone, and that the Netherlands subsequently adopted similar measures.
  • Martynov said that other EU countries, including the Czech Republic, Germany, and France, impose similar sanctions in different ways, such as stopping entry for diplomats with Schengen visas and demanding national visas instead.
  • Martynov also recalled that Austria pledged to the International Atomic Energy Agency in 1959 to issue entry visas to diplomats "as quickly as possible," but after February 2022, Vienna began regularly delaying visas and expelled a number of employees under the pretext of espionage charges.
  • Both TASS articles quoted officials without providing direct responses from Austrian authorities.

Perspectives

Russian officials (via TASS)

Moscow maintains that Austria, as host country to international organizations, is failing its legal obligations. Ambassador Grozov and Permanent Representative Ulyanov stress that the visa delays are unjustified and violate international commitments, with Ulyanov calling the policy "outrageous."

Russian analyst Alexey Martynov (via TASS)

Martynov argues that Austria's measures are not isolated but part of a coordinated Western effort to pressure Russia's diplomatic presence. He cites similar restrictions in other EU countries and a new notification requirement, framing these as violations of the 1961 Vienna Convention, which he says applies equally to all states regardless of their relations.