Russia on Tuesday announced it was withdrawing from the Council of Europe, blaming the decision on NATO countries.

"The entire responsibility for breaking off dialogue with the Council of Europe lies with the NATO countries, which all this time have been using the topic of human rights to pursue their own geopolitical interests and attacks on our country," Russian State Duma Deputy Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy said on his Telegram channel.

"Due to the unprecedented political and sanctions pressure on our country, Russia does not plan to pay an annual contribution to this organization," he added.

The withdrawal comes a week after Moscow said it would no longer participate in the Council because it had been "undermined by NATO and EU countries."

On Monday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal urged the Council to expel Russia due to its ongoing military operation in his country.