Photo from Council of Europe/ Ellen Wuibaux

The Ukrainian delegation has decided to suspend work in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in protest against the decision to abolish the sanction mechanism.

This decision has already been approved and will be announced in the near future, the European Pravda news outlet reported on Tuesday, June 25.

Having filed an appeal against the reinstated powers of the Russian delegation and the automatic appointment of Leonid Slutsky, who is under European Union personal sanctions over Russian aggression against Ukraine, as PACE Vice-President, the Ukrainian delegation left the session hall and would not participate in further debates until the end of the day.

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On Wednesday, the Ukrainian delegation will temporarily return to the hall for the appeal against the powers of the Russian delegation. Ukraine will demand that the Russians be stripped of all powers and the right to hold executive positions in the committees.

It has also been decided that, after challenging the powers of the Russian delegation, regardless of the decision, the Ukrainian parliamentarians will not return to the PACE session hall.

Read alsoRussia allowed to return to PACE unconditionally

This is the walk-out in protest against the PACE's recently taken controversial decision, which has substantially narrowed the possibility of imposing sanctions on the Russian delegation, as well as delegations of other states if they violate the principles of the Council of Europe.

The Ukrainian parliament is also expected to pass a joint decision on further work of the Ukrainian parliamentarians in the PACE.

The Ukrainian delegates may also not take part in the election of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

In the early hours of June 25, the PACE canceled the existing sanctions mechanism, but parliamentarians still have the opportunity to completely strip a delegation of its mandate or impose minor sanctions. Ukraine and Georgia appealed against the reinstatement of the voting powers of the Russian delegation to the PACE.