Russia has returned to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. It happened without any conditions and with the restoration of its powers in full. Five years ago, after the reunification with Crimea, Russia was deprived of the right to vote. We suspended our membership in this organization, which had become meaningless for us, and stopped paying membership fees there. Now, two-thirds of the deputies who took part in the vote spoke in favor of getting Russia back. But in a temper tantrum, Ukraine decided to slam the door and leave PACE. These are hysterics. But PACE seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
Olga Skabeeva has the details.
- Salisbury, missiles, etc. Sitting at what round table? You'll be sitting in jail!
- Don't be rude.
- You're a scumbag. You're a scumbag. You and Putin will be in the Hague.
- Scumbag.
Ukrainian delegates took the news that Russia will return to PACE with hysterics. With red spots and sweat on his face, Alexey Goncharenko, a deputy of the Verkhovnaya Rada, helplessly hailed curses at his Russian colleagues. People's Deputy of Ukraine Beyoza went even further. The former spokesperson of the Right Sector insulted all Russians.
- You said that all Russians are bastards. Is that acceptable?
- I said, which is translated as "All Russian government are [sic] bastards".
- So, you go back on the words you said yesterday?
- No, I said what I said.
The official representative of the Ukrainian government tells us, more or less, why Putin didn't congratulate Zelensky. It's because Zelensky officially supported and approved the efforts of his delegation. While leaving PACE, his subordinates addressed Russia by saying "murderer" and something about Mordor.
"Mordor. Murderer, murderer. Murderers, murderers. Mordor".
Irina Gerashchenko, member of the Ukrainian delegation in PACE: "Those scumbags, the six members of the Russian delegation, voted for the annexation of Crimea and for sending in Russian troops. Now, they have the right to take part in observer missions. Will it be they that will come to us as observers? We left the room of the assembly and said to the Russians that they're murderers in front of the cameras. And I couldn't but quote Parubiy's "Begone, devil!" to our friend Skabeeva".
It was their last concert. PACE had seen enough and made a sign of the cross, so to speak. There were 116 votes in favor and 62 votes against. With a simple majority, PACE deputies invite Russia to return as a full-fledged member.
- Good luck. Thank you very much for the interview.
- I wish you luck, too. And don't come back.
- No, I'm afraid we already came back.
- Don't cross the bridge till you come to it.
- Pointing fingers is rude, you know? What will we do to normalize relations and cut out all the counterproductive rhetoric which everyone is already sick of? I mean, it's been five years, everyone is sick and tired of it.
- Get the hell out of Donbass and Crimea.
- The OSCE said that there's no Russian military presence in Donbass. Do you not trust the OSCE?
- It means that they're either stupid or blind. Anyone who'll come to Donbass will see the Russian military there.
- Georgy Logvinsky, Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian Delegation to PACE: “Not we but the entire world demand very simple things: withdraw from Donbass and Crimea. Annexation and occupation stop where not a trace of Russian servicemen remains.”
- Borislav Efimovich, how are you?
- Excuse me, I'm busy.
"Thank you for your support".
As we can see, the Ukrainian delegation doesn't give up. They unfurled yellow and blue flags right in front of the building of the Parliamentary Assembly.
"Crimea is Ukraine. Crimea is Ukraine".
Here are some people who are saying that they came from Ukraine. Apparently, they're here to inflame sentiments and accuse Russia of being an aggressor.
"Russia should stop".
They demand that Russian PACE deputies be excluded. Also, they want Russia to accept responsibility for the Boeing (MH17), annexation, and aggression. Well, we all know the rest. They're shouting.
Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of PACE: "We start the procedure of voting on the draft resolution. Document 14900. The voting is open. The resolution is adopted. There are 116 votes in favor, and 62 votes against".
Thus, they seem to close the Crimean issue in the Council of Europe. After all, four years ago, because of Crimea, with the words that Crimea "should be immediately returned to Ukraine," Russia was deprived of voting rights. Now, from the PACE rostrum, one can hear only sedition in the general understanding of the "Crimean point".
The Ukrainian delegation tried to interrupt a speech being given by a Serbian deputy.
Aleksandar Šešelj, PACE deputy from Serbia: "For five years already, Crimea is one of the main topics in the Council of Europe. We can learn a lot from this case. Residents of Crimea made this decision because they didn't want to be burned like their compatriots in Odessa. And that's why…"
"That's unfair. It's about our country. Why are you listening to this? This is absolutely unfair. As to the referendum in Crimea, what referendum are you talking about?"
Liliane Maury: "Mr. Goncharenko, you had an opportunity to speak out. Please, stick to the rules".
The Ukrainian delegation learned only one thing about the rules — that they can make their own amendments to the final resolution to try to somehow delay the moment of truth. There are 226 amendments, in one of which, for example, they tried to replace the word "noting" with "taking into account." The entire Parliamentary Assembly had to vote on this ridiculous issue. This is some kind of mockery, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly said at about 1 a.m. But did this dissuade the Ukrainians?
Oleg Lyashko, member of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE: "Dear colleagues, you're either blind, stupid, or corrupt because you don't see the obvious. You can't stop an aggressor by indulging in this kind of peacemaking policy. You will lose your conscience with your vote. It'll be a shame for each of you to look at yourself in the mirror when you brush your teeth. You'll be ashamed to look in your children's eyes. Don't come to Ukraine and don't say how much you want to help us".
"I consider it absolutely unacceptable that a colleague treats us as traitors. I think that I have nothing to teach my colleague Lyashko. And my colleague Lyashko has nothing to teach me and everyone present".
Only Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, and Ukraine unanimously voted against Russia's return to PACE. The latter three delegations decided to leave PACE in protest. Lithuania and Georgia refused to protest a day later and returned. So, now it is only Ukraine that is outside PACE.
Olga Skabeeva, Yulia Chesnokova, Ivan Ponomarenko, Andrey Vereshchagin, Ayan Oyun, and Vadim Vitovsky for Vesti Weekly from Strasbourg.
