Russian Foreign Ministry Calls Council of Europe NATO’s Propaganda Tool

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Council of Europe turned into a NATO propaganda tool a long time ago, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, commenting on Russia’s withdrawal from the organization amid the military operation in Ukraine.

"This organization [Council of Europe] became just a tool of NATO propaganda and I didn’t missay now. We have repeatedly talked about this, that the structures of the [NATO] alliance and the member states of the alliance through the appropriate mechanisms of NATO formed the agenda in the Council of Europe in many ways," Zakharova said on air of Sputnik radio.

There is absolutely nothing left from equal and effective work in the Council of Europe, Zakharova noted, adding that this organization has become a convenient platform for the implementation of NATO's information and political campaigns.

On Tuesday, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted in favour of Russia's withdrawal from the organization with 216 votes in support. Earlier in the day, Russia sent a withdrawal notice signed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asking to leave the council.

On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The United States and its allies, including Japan, responded by imposing comprehensive sanctions against Russia, while many foreign companies decided to leave the country's market.