Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 March 2026
153. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her response to the engagement by the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly with representatives of Russia’s anti-war and pro-democracy opposition. [22791/26]
View answerFollowing the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe and, consequently, Russia’s delegates were expelled from the Council’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE). PACE and leading members within the Parliamentary Assembly have subsequently engaged with Russia’s anti-war and pro-democracy opposition.
PACE, in Resolution 2540 of 2024, refers to this opposition as the ‘Russian Democratic Forces’ and defines them as Russian political organisations and individuals, either located in Russia or in exile, that share the values of the Council of Europe, recognise the rules-based international order, and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
In late 2024, the Russian Democratic Forces established a PACE ‘Contact Group’ led by Russian pro-democracy opposition figure, Dmitry Gudkov, and comprising PACE leaders and representatives from a number of political organisations. Flowing from this, in October 2025, PACE approved the creation of a Platform for Dialogue between the Assembly and Russian Democratic Forces. This platform allows for dialogue with the Assembly on issues of common concern. Participants in this platform can attend meetings of the Assembly’s committees, sub-committees and networks during part-sessions.
I welcome this continued engagement with Russia’s anti-war and democratic opposition by members of PACE, including with four full and four substitute delegates from the Houses of the Oireachtas. Those exchanges are crucial to maintain an open dialogue and to uphold the values of the Council of Europe.
Ireland has consistently supported the Council of Europe’s strong commitment to Ukraine since the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, including in intervening as a third-party in the inter-state case Ukraine and the Netherlands v Russia and engaging on the establishment of the International Claims Commission for Ukraine and the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
