With Russia not a member of the Committee of Ministers, it’s not necessary for this committee to exist. And without Russia, the Council of Europe will have a larger population in the Mediterranean region and Asia. Russia’s Deputy Head of State Duma told reporters when asked about his comments on Russia’s exclusion from the state organization.
In his earlier statement, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe launched a procedure to suspend Russia’s membership in the Council of Europe.
After Tolstoy delves deeper into the origin of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, he shares some insight into how and why Russia believed it was justified in its position.
“Russia was suspended from participating in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe,” said the parliamentarian.
While he acknowledged how important Russia is, and how it’s the largest country in Europe, the Council of Europe Ambassador stressed that without Russia, the Council has lost its purpose.
Tolstoy said that without Russia, the organization would be pointless. “Because there would be no truth in it”, Tolstoy pointed out.
Now, the deputy spokesman believes that the re-establishment of dialogue with Russia is dependent on the Council of Europe. “The Russians will not change their position,” he emphasized.
Russia itself has repeatedly called for dialogue, but the West rejected these requests. In particular, Russia has long asked to respond to human rights violations in Ukraine, but “European solidarity did not allow it.”
The Council of Europe unanimously passed a statement that Russia’s rights were suspended. The country remains a member, but it is not a party to any of the conventions. They remain bound by the European Convention on Human Rights.
