Latest PACE resolution does not guarantee Russia’s return – Ukrainian envoy

The approval of the report by Michele Nicoletti is "a blow, not a knockdown," Kuleba wrote on Facebook.

"There is a desire to return Russians to the PACE is, but their return is not guaranteed. The red line is January 2018. Everything that will happen before this [month] is a game, not a game result. The probability of the return is now equal to the probability of non-return. It depends on a large number of factors," the envoy said.

Read alsoPoroshenko defends education law in PACEKuleba noted that Ukraine does not go for compromises on the return of Russians to PACE. "Although we are being persuaded… For the first time I’m saying this: for two weeks, I have been hearing questions from envoys: what is your price for Russia’s return to the PACE? I answer: it’s the implementation of PACE resolutions. This is what the Ukrainian deputies pushed through to Nicoletti’s report. This amendment was adopted in spite of the opponents’ efforts,” he said.

As UNIAN reported earlier, PACE on Wednesday adopted a resolution which could create opportunities for the lifting of political sanctions from the Russian delegation.

Russia refused to pay membership fees to the Council of Europe for 2017 until the resumption of powers of its delegation to PACE.

Read alsoWhat to expect from language debate in PACEUkraine's Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe Dmytro Kuleba has said that financial lobbyists use Russia's refusal to pay contributions to the Council of Europe to force the organization to make concessions to the Russian Federation.

The Ukrainian delegation to PACE said it considered possible the return of the Russian delegation to the Council of Europe's session hall only after the de-occupation of Crimea and Donbas.