While Russia’s attacks on Ukraine continue, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmihal spoke at the General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe via videoconference. Referring to Russia’s attacks in Ukraine, Shmihal demanded that Russia be removed from the Council of Europe immediately, using the expressions “The world has finally opened its eyes during the last 18 days”. Shmihal said, “One of the most important parts of the sanctions policy is the imposition of sanctions on Russian civil servants. Many people voted to support this barbaric war. We will ask all countries and businesses to stop funding Russia’s budget that kills children and women and commits war crimes. Foreign currency accounts should be frozen. The most important thing is to continue the sanctions imposed on Sberbank,” he said.

PACE President Tiny Kox stated that after Shmihal’s speech, it will now be examined whether a member state can be excluded “for the first time in modern history” and stated that the consequences of the Russian army’s invasion of Ukraine will be discussed in the coming hours and tomorrow.

While Russia became the 39th member state of the Council of Europe on February 28, 1996, on February 25, 1 day after its attack on Ukraine, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the Committee of Ministers and Parliamentarians of Russia in accordance with Article 8 of the Statute of the Council of Europe. He suspended his representation rights in the Assembly.