Acting chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada committee for European integration Maria Ionova has said that after reinstating the rights of Russian delegates in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) the Ukrainian delegation could suspect its participation in the organization.
“The delegation will meet and will decide. In principle, we do not see ourselves in the same room with the Russians. We will simply suspend Ukraine’s participation in the summer session… In general, I do not know whether it will be possible to return there, honestly,” Ionova told Interfax-Ukraine by telephone from Strasbourg on June 25.
She also said that the Ukrainian delegation will protest during the procedure for reinstating the rights of the members of the Russian delegation on June 25.
“We will stand up and protest. And when they remain in the hall, we will leave it. Let them vote for the [PACE] Secretary-General without Ukraine,” Ionova said.
Ionova recalled that six of the 11 deputies from the delegation of the Russian Federation are under global sanctions since they voted for sending troops into Ukraine.
