The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted to lift sanctions on the Russian delegation, which were imposed at the request of Ukraine due to the events in Crimea in 2014, after which Moscow refused to pay membership fees in protest, and this turned out to be a significant blow to the organization’s budget.
The Ukrainian delegation tried to prevent the voting - Verkhovna Rada deputies who flew from Kiev to Strasbourg specifically made more than 200 amendments to the draft resolution, which were ultimately rejected, but the meeting dragged on past midnight local time.
As a result, the decision to lift sanctions against Russia in PACE was supported by 118 deputies.
“Ukraine, the British, Georgians, the Baltic states, the Poles were against it. We are a minority... Now these 118 European politicians are responsible for the murders of Ukrainians in Donbass and Crimea,” said Vice-Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Irina Gerashchenko, calling the PACE decision a “terrible resolution.”
Gerashchenko laments that PACE voted at a time when Russia refused to release the Ukrainian Navy crews arrested for participating in a provocation near the Kerch Strait.
“118 for, 62 against. PACE, in a zombie state, opened the door to the aggressor at one in the morning. Tomorrow the battle will continue further. For the sanctions that remained among the possible ones. Shame,” deputy Vladimir Ariev does not hide his indignation.