This is reported by Kyiv24
During the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, the delegations from Ukraine, Germany, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and representatives from the European Parliament organized a walkout to protest the participation of Valentina Matviyenko, the Chair of the Federation Council of Russia, in the event. The incident occurred on July 30 while Matviyenko was delivering a speech.
Mass Protest Against Russia’s Participation in International Events
Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Olena Kondratiuk released a video capturing the moment the delegations left the hall. She emphasized her pride in “all our partners and colleagues.” The footage shows dozens of conference participants demonstratively leaving their seats.
The Lithuanian delegation stated that they boycotted the speech by the Russian representative, “firmly opposing the presence of an aggressor country.” The Speaker of the lower house of the Czech Parliament, Marketa Pekarova-Adamova, explained her position with the following words:
“I left the hall because I will not be a part of the audience spreading the lies on which the criminal Kremlin regime stands.”
In response to the protest, Matviyenko referred to the actions of the participants as “mosquito bites” and “clowning.”
Russian Delegation in Geneva Despite Sanctions
Valentina Matviyenko arrived in Switzerland on July 28 along with Leonid Slutsky, the head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Pyotr Tolstoy, and seven other members of the delegation. Despite being under sanctions from Switzerland and the European Union, the country does not restrict the entry of representatives from international organizations headquartered on its territory. The Russian delegation participated in the work of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and Matviyenko spoke at the 15th Summit of Women – Heads of Parliaments.
During her speech, Matviyenko expressed support for Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, claiming that Russia was allegedly forced to “intervene to stop the bloodshed” in Donbas. Such statements provoked outrage among representatives from many countries.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tikhiy stated that Matviyenko’s place is “in the dock, not at international conferences.”
The Inter-Parliamentary Union announced that its goal is to promote democracy and peace, and promised to discuss the issue of deported Ukrainian children with the Russian delegation.