The Council of Europe must develop a set of tools to support Russians who oppose Vladimir Putin’s regime, Hristo Ivanov told delegates at an extraordinary plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg on Tuesday, Democratic Bulgaria’s press centre said.
“We need to send a message that we support the Russians who oppose Putin. This is very important to emphasize. This organization must develop a new set of tools to help these Russians so that they are not left alone,” said Ivanov, who is the head of the Bulgarian delegation to PACE.
The co-chair of Democratic Bulgaria announced that in his personal capacity and as head of the Bulgarian delegation he would vote for the exclusion of Russia from PACE. He explained that his vote was based on a declaration by the Bulgarian Parliament which condemned in the strongest possible way the Russian criminal aggression against Ukraine.
“Our greatest hope for peace is for Ukraine to endure. If Ukraine is conquered by force, we will live in a world in which we will wonder who is next,” said Hristo Ivanov, quoted in the statement.
