Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy emphasizes the need to prevent Russian observers from the PACE from monitoring parliamentary elections in Ukraine in case the Russian delegation is reinstated in the PACE.
"If the Russian delegation is reinstated in the PACE, I consider it expedient to withdraw my invitation as chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine regarding the participation of observers in Ukraine. If they try to send Russian observers to Ukraine through the PACE, we cannot allow the observers from the aggressor state to determine the democratic nature of Ukrainian elections," Parubiy said during the Conciliation Council, according to an UNIAN correspondent.
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He expressed his conviction he would receive support from the profile committee and all faction leaders in this matter.
As was reported, the PACE on June 26, 2019, lifted sanctions from Russia, which were in effect since April 2014 over the annexation of Ukraine's Crimea. All the powers of the Russian delegation to the PACE were reinstated in full.
After this, the delegations of Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Ukraine decided to leave the PACE summer session ahead of schedule.
Russia has not paid its contributions to the Council of Europe since June 2017.
