Berset rules out Russia’s return to Council of Europe anytime soon

Moscow's return to the Council of Europe "hard to imagine". Keystone-SDA

Former Swiss president Alain Berset, now Secretary General of the Council of Europe, said there’s no chance of Russia rejoining the Council of Europe for now.

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Berset said it’s difficult to see Russia rejoining the Council of Europe. He spoke to Swiss newspaper Le Temps the day after the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine. On Monday, the UN Security Council adopted a US resolution calling for swift peace in Ukraine. Russia backed the resolution, signalling a further thaw in relations between Moscow and Washington.

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For now, there’s no chance of Russia rejoining the Council of Europe, said Berset. He insisted the Strasbourg-based pan-European organisation “is not a spa or wellness centre.”

“When one state attacks another and fails to meet its obligations, there must be consequences. Right now, we can’t see a way back,” added the Secretary General.

Translated from French with DeepL/sp

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