Council of Europe losing its European identity - Duma's Slutsky on decision to suspend Russia's CoE membership

MOSCOW. Feb 26 (Interfax) - The Council of Europe is losing its identity, while Russia is willing to cooperate with this organization only on equal terms, State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Leonid Slutsky said.

"If Strasbourg puts on hold cooperation with Moscow, we will live without an organization that is increasingly losing its European identity and becoming a mouthpiece of Washington's messages," Slutsky said on his Telegram channel on Friday.

He believes that the Council of Europe from a pan-European organization "has turned into an appendage of the European Union, working according to American standards and templates."

"The Council of Europe was blatantly inactive and kept silent while Ukraine was being pumped up with weapons. Even though it was already obvious that this would increase tensions and unleash the hands of the neo-Nazi junta. Russia and its delegation to the PACE [Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe] were blamed for everything," the parliamentary committee head said.

"Russia needs the Council of Europe no less than Russia needs the Council of Europe," Slutsky said.

"We stand ready only for equal partnership and dialogue," he said.

Earlier on Friday, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe declined to cooperate with Russia, suspending its membership in the organization.