The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe followed the lead of the Kiev diplomats, refusing to confirm the powers of the Russian delegation.
“If the powers of the Russian delegation are not fully confirmed, the delegation will leave Strasbourg and will not participate in PACE sessions. We do not accept any illegal restrictions and sanctions. This contradicts the very nature of parliamentarism”, – commented Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian State Duma’s international affairs committee.
Thus, the Parliamentary Assembly nullifies attempts to resolve the crisis in relations with Russia. As you know, the early delegation of the Russian Federation has already been deprived of the right to vote in PACE. In response, Moscow refused to cooperate with the organization. Particularly negative for the Parliamentary Assembly was the fact that Russia stopped paying its dues. This is what played a significant role in the decision to return the powers to the Russian representatives in the summer of 2019.