Kremlin's reaction to the PACE resolution which contained critical notes and recommendations for Russia, is categorical and will hardly change.

Vladimir Putin's press-secretary Dmitry Peskov was quite short in his comment: «We do not think that such comments are possible and we will definetely not follow them». It seemed that he said that with the feeling of the media victory.
That victory came after the left-wing Europarliament depuries have declined the offer to toghen control over Russia's inner affairs by the Council of Europe's ministerial cabinet. If they adopted the document, the eurobeaurocrats would have to face regular scandals while asking uncomfortable questions to their Russian counterparts.

However, this doesn not meand that they wuld not find a way to pass these sharp issues by. There are more important issues to discuss with Russians, like monetary projects, and no scandals are needed.

In reality, this whole story revolves around reputational issues. And it became so importnat because of the openness which which the Russian politicians speak about the basic values that the EU urges Russia to respect.

These values are wel-known and they were rejected by Moscow for years. Before, however, Russia used to at least discuss issues. Today it seems that the Russian officials decided to stop any of these discussion and close the issue.
The final spot in the arguments between the Kremlin and PACE are the relations of the Russian authorities and the opposition.
And finally, PACE has now become in Russia's eyes what it is in reality — an institution which cannot do anything decively. That is, no hopes can be made in connection with this institution.
Being a member of PACE, Russia has a right to decline the suggestionas and resolutions made by its deputies. So what is the point of staying there?