Last year, the editorial that appeared in The Ukrainian Weekly in the June 30/July 7 issue noted that on June 25, 2019, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) had voted to reinstate the Russian delegation and its voting rights, which were revoked in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. The assembly voted 116 in favor, 62 against and 10 abstaining. Russia did absolutely nothing to justify its reinstatement, the editorial underscored.
In 2014, PACE declared Russia’s actions a “clear contradiction of the Statute of the Council of Europe.” Russia’s delegation was allowed to continue to attend sessions, and vote in committees, but its members were not allowed to head committees, and Russia was prohibited from participation in various PACE bodies and mission. Russia refused to participate in PACE in 2016, and in 2017 stopped paying its membership dues.
In 2019, PACE then backtracked on its position, opening the door to Russia’s reinstatement. During the PACE session on June 24-28, 2019, the Ukrainian delegation walked out of the session in protest. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced his dismay on Facebook, and said he had tried to convince the leaders of France and Germany that “the return of the Russian delegation to the PACE is possible only after Russia’s compliance with the Assembly’s fundamental requirements,” adding, “Unfortunately, our European partners did not hear us and acted differently.”
The PACE website stated, “…the Assembly called on Russia to fulfill a series of recent Assembly recommendations, citing among other things the release of Ukrainian sailors, cooperation on bringing to justice those responsible for downing Flight MH17, and taking measures to end violations of the rights of LGBTI people, especially in Chechnya.” PACE was to debate a report on Russia’s fulfillment of those obligations at its April 20-24, 2020, session (which was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic), but in the announcement in 2019 there was no mention of Russia’s annexation of Crimea or Russia’s war in Ukraine’s east.
The PACE delegations of Ukraine, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia issued a statement on June 26, 2019, that underscored: “The unconditional restoration of the Russian delegation’s rights without the Russian Federation honoring any of the Assembly’s numerous demands runs counter to the core values of the Council of Europe and its Statute. This step sends a very wrong signal to the country that has resorted to armed aggression, poisoning of individuals, does not observe human rights of its citizens and does not promote but seeks to destabilize democracies throughout Europe.”
Founded 71 years ago and comprising 47 countries, PACE, which is supposed to be dedicated to upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law – has betrayed its principles.
This year, international observers at the Atlantic Council warned that PACE’s actions of reinstating Russia could lead to the organization becoming a watchdog without any bite. More recently, Atlantic Council observers noted that President Donald Trump’s invitation for Russia to rejoin the G-7 would also send the wrong signals and invite further Russian aggression.
Source: “PACE betrays its own principles,” The Ukrainian Weekly, June 30-July 7, 2019.