The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has officially declared Russian dictator Vladimir
Putin illegitimate and called on Council of Europe and European Union member
states to cease any contact with his "criminal regime," Ukrainian MP
and PACE delegate Oleksiy Honcharenko reported via Telegram on April 17.
The corresponding resolution also recognizes the Russian Orthodox Church as “an instrument of Kremlin propaganda and influence,” describing ROC Patriarch Kirill as an accomplice to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
The document refers to the recent elections in Russia as "so-called" and describes them as "dishonest and unfair," rather than "far from being fair and just."
In October 2023, PACE designated Russia as a dictatorship.
On April 16, PACE supported a resolution calling for the transfer of $300 billion of Russian state assets currently frozen by Western countries to Ukraine.