Date: June 25, 2019
Location: Strasbourg, France
Russian MPs were stripped of voting rights in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) after Russia occupied Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014. De-occupation of Ukraine’s territories was PACE’s requirement for restoration Russia’s rights in PACE.
Russia responded by boycotting the assembly, and since 2017 refused to pay its €33 mln (7%) share of the annual budget until all sanctions will be lifted.
In June 2019, two years will have passed since Russia stopped paying its financial contributions, and, according to PACE rules, 2 years of non-payment automatically terminates country’s membership in PACE.
PACE had to either kick Russia out according to assembly’s rules, or to capitulate before Russia changing its rules and dropping all sanctions on Russia.
On June 25, 2019, PACE capitulated and Russia returned back to PACE.
PACE sold Ukraine for €33 mln.
