Council of Europe votes to create ‘platform for dialogue’ with exiled Russian opposition

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) voted on Wednesday to create a “platform for dialogue” with members of Russia’s exiled political opposition to ensure “a more structured engagement” with those who were forced into exile following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The platform, which, according to the resolution, aims to “bring about sustainable democratic change in Russia and help achieve lasting and just peace in Ukraine”, was supported by 80 PACE members, while just four — representing Ukraine, Türkiye, the UK and Spain — abstained.

The Free Russia Foundation, a US-based non-profit coordinating the Russian anti-war movement in exile, welcomed PACE’s “historic” resolution in a post on Telegram, noting that it marked “a new stage” in Europe’s relations with Russian civil society.

“Today’s decision is part of the free world’s collective struggle against an inhumane imperial dictatorship,” the foundation said. “Europe is clearly demonstrating that its position is not directed against Russia, but against the dictatorship and aggression of the Kremlin regime, against its policy of terror and destruction.”

While PACE said on X that the platform’s initial composition would be announced at a later date, the resolution specified that its members be people “of the highest moral standing” with a record of publicly opposing Vladimir Putin’s regime and who unconditionally recognise the sovereignty of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders.

The PACE resolution also urged Council of Europe member states to assist the platform’s members with travel, visas and residence permits, and to support the platform by making voluntary contributions to its work.

Russia withdrew from the Council of Europe in March 2022, shortly after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and ceased to be party to the European Convention on Human Rights in September of the same year.

Prominent Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza also welcomed the resolution’s approval on X, adding that during the debate several parliamentarians had argued that “the best guarantee of a peaceful and secure Europe would be a democratic Russia. Let’s work together to make this a reality.”