Russia may be expelled from the Council of Europe due to the invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine.
This was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba.
According to the Foreign Minister, the joint committee of the Council of Europe adopted a decision recommending that Russia be subject to a procedure that will lead to its exclusion from this international organization.
– The Council of Europe, whose flexibility in relation to Russia I know very well since my time as ambassador there, today made a revolutionary decision for itself: the joint committee of the Council of Europe, which brings together the leadership of PACE, representatives of member states and the secretary general of the organization, recommends applying the procedure in relation to Russia , which leads to the exclusion of this state from the Council of Europe , – Kuleba emphasized.
The Minister noted that the world is now demonstrating support for Ukraine. So, if yesterday a kind of international coalition in defense of Ukraine consisted of 58 states and 6 international organizations, today it is already 73 countries and 9 organizations .
Dmitry Kuleba said that he held talks with the foreign ministers of India, Japan, as well as with the head of the US State Department.
In addition, a meeting of the Council of the European Union Foreign Ministry will be held today, at which sanctions will be approved.
“Weapons and sanctions are the main thing now. Both will be. New EU sanctions today. Weapons are on the way. We bite into SWIFT with our teeth,” Kuleba noted.
The minister also informed that attacks by Russian troops on a kindergarten and an orphanage are war crimes. The aggressor violated the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Prosecutor General are collecting materials for the trial in The Hague.
As you know, the Council of Europe is the leading organization for the protection of human rights on the European continent. It currently has 47 member countries, 27 of which are members of the European Union. Among the members of the organization there is also the Russian Federation.
