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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin believes that Russia has great chances of returning to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

"The chances are significant because many of the European countries want to buy predictability in relations with Russia," Klimkin told Channel 5.

"They understand that Russia is what it is; they want have a lever of influence on Russia and keep it in the Council of Europe. I think this is by definition a bad and erroneous strategy," said the foreign minister.

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Klimkin noted that he was "trying to explain" to Ukraine's partners that the problem was not about the return of the Russian Federation to PACE as such.

Read alsoUkraine delegate on Russia's possible return to PACE: Result "unpredictable"

"It doesn't matter if there are several Russian deputies there. The problem is different – if someone wants to use this return as a way toward a new normality with Russia," the minister noted.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe opens in Strasbourg on Monday. A decision could be made that would lead to the return of the Russian delegation without fulfilling any conditions set earlier.