Ukrainian organizations in Italy condemn sanctioned Russian official at Geneva conference

The Network of Associations for Ukraine (NAU) — a coalition of Ukrainian organizations in Italy — strongly condemned the participation of Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko at the July 30 conference of parliamentary speakers in Geneva, Switzerland.

The group’s outcry coincided with an orchestrated walkout by dozens of delegates who had protested in order to not lend legitimacy to her address. 

Matvienko is under wide-ranging sanctions for her role in approving Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and for supporting Russia’s all-out war on Ukraine that started in February 2022. 

She is considered Russia’s most powerful woman and a senior member of Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. 

“We express deep outrage and shock over Matviyenko’s presence at the event. She is one of the most notorious representatives of Putin’s regime, directly involved in initiating and conducting the brutal war against the Ukrainian people,” NAU said.

Inviting this pro-Kremlin official sends a “deeply troubling signal,” as the decision undermines the memory of the victims of Russian aggression and contradicts the principles of neutrality, democracy, and respect for human rights that Switzerland traditionally upholds.

The Russian delegation also included Pyotr Tolstoy and Leonid Slutsky — other high-ranking officials known for their public support of the war.

“Their presence at an international forum dedicated to dialogue and cooperation is a painful humiliation for all democratic institutions and a worrying blindness for those who believe in peace based on truth and justice,” the organization said.

The NAU called on the Inter-Parliamentary Union to explain why a sanctioned Russian delegation was allowed to attend the conference. It also demanded answers from Swiss authorities on how officials under sanctions were granted entry and a platform. Democratic parliamentarians were urged to clearly distance themselves from such dialogue and refuse cooperation with those supporting war and war crimes.

The organization is inviting the public to sign an open letter addressed to Swiss authorities to publicly protest and condemn Matviyenko’s participation in the Geneva event. The letter can be signed via the following link.

For context, Matviyenko arrived in Geneva with the Russian delegation on July 27 to take part in the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament and related Inter-Parliamentary Union events. Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the decision to allow her participation.