European Council threatens to exclude Russia
Russia could be expelled from the Council of Europe if it continues to fail to pay its contributions to the organization's budget by mid-2019, Secretary General Richard Thorbjorn Jagland said.
 |
| A session of the European Council. Illustrative photo |
According to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe (PACE), the fact that Russia has not paid its contribution for two years to the base for sanctions.
"We absolutely cannot accept that a country remains here without paying its contributions. No one can accept the 'half-membership' format. This would be a disaster for the entire organization," — Secretary General Jagland asserted.
If Russia leaves the organization, Mr. Jagland plans to adopt a revised version of the European Council budget.
In 2014, Russia's representatives were stripped of some of their powers in PACE due to their stance on Crimea. Moscow declared it impossible to work under such conditions, stopped participating in meetings and stopped submitting documents to certify its membership in 2016.