Moscow –
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the Council of Europe of being an instrument of “Russophobia” serving Western interests. The accusations were made after Russia expelled from membership of the pan-European Rights Agency.
“Due to the Russophobic activity of Westerners, the Council of Europe has lost its ground,” Zakharova said in a statement.
“By placing the service of the bloc’s interests above its own legal goals, the Council of Europe has turned into a compliant instrument of the European Union, NATO and their satellites,” he added.
Moscow was suspended from all representation rights on February 25, a day after the start of military operations in Ukraine. Zakharova said the expulsion did not change anything for Russia.
“Russia does not accept Brussels’ oversight on human rights matters,” he said.
As is known, Russia has been a member of the Council of Europe since 1996. On Tuesday (15/3), Russia announced that it had withdrawn from the Council of Europe. The day after, the official decision was taken by the agency’s ministerial committee to expel Russia from its invasion of Ukraine.
His exit from the agency has sparked concerns over human rights in the country.
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