Ukrainian PM Denys Shmyhal urges for 'immediate' expulsion of Russia from Council of Europe
Categories: FOREIGN COUNTRIES
Ukraine on Monday demanded that Russia be immediately expelled from the Council of Europe, saying Moscow had no right to remain a member of the pan-European rights body after the invasion of its neighbour."We urge you to take a decision on the immediate expulsion of Russia from the Council of Europe," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg via video link, adding that Russia's attack meant it "cannot stay in the European family". The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (CoE), which gathered in a special session to talk about Ukraine on Monday, demonstrated their support to the country and CoE member state.Russia, which is a member of the Council of Europe along with 46 other states, was suspended on February 25 after its military intervention in Ukraine. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelinskiy was set to address the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly on Monday but the intervention didn't happen.Russia's foreign ministry last week said Moscow would stop participating in the Council of Europe.The Council of Europe was formed after World War Two to protect human rights and the rule of law across the continent. It is separate from the European Union.