Russia’s return to the session hall of the PACE failed - Ariev

Blitzkrieg on the return of the Russian delegation to the session hall of the PACE failed. This was reported by the head of the delegation of the Ukrainian parliament in the PACE Volodymyr Ariev in Facebook, ZN.ua informs.

"Blitzkrieg scenario for the Russian Federation in the PACE was interrupted by joint efforts, but we will be very vigilant. Thanks to the Ukrainian delegation! Once again we proved that only joint actions produce results", - he wrote.

At the same time, he noted the efforts of the members of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE.

"Yesterday, together with Olena Sotnyk and Heorhiy Logvynsky we fought on the Joint Committee to prevent the implementation of this quick scenario. We succeeded - the majority are not ready to meet Russian blackmail, the CE leaders recognized that immediately after the meeting. However, the work of Ambassador Dmytro Kuleba is above all praise", - he wrote.

Ariev said that as a result, a tough position in the negotiations in Moscow was demanded and even suing the Russian Federation for non-payment of contributions.

"The atmosphere is changing, and it is changing not by itself, but through joint actions and synergy of Ukrainians in the Council of Europe. We continue working", - he added.

As reported, the PACE approved by a majority of votes a decision that aims to lift political sanctions from the Russian delegation. This decision should ban the PACE from extending the restrictions imposed on Russia without the consent of the member states. In fact, this calls into question the approval in PACE of any sanctions against Russia. Given that sanctions should be renewed annually, restrictions can be lifted already in January.

Russia was deprived of the right to vote in PACE in April 2014 - immediately after the annexation of the Crimea and the outbreak of hostilities in the Donbass. For the Russian parliamentarians, only the right to attend and speak at the assembly meetings, as well as to work on committees, has been preserved. After that, the Russian Federation refused to participate in the sessions of PACE.