Dozens Boycott Sanctioned Russian Official Speaking Geneva Conference

A delegation of sanctioned Russian officials, including Valentina Matviyenko, chairwoman of Russia's Federation Council, attended the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, Switzerland, sparking significant controversy and coordinated walkouts by dozens of parliamentarians from various countries. Ukraine's government condemned Matviyenko's presence as "disgraceful," demanding her prosecution at a Special Tribunal for Russian aggression and urging conference participants to avoid any interaction with her due to her role in supporting Russia's military invasion of Ukraine. Switzerland, while condemning Russia's invasion and imposing sanctions, allowed the Russian delegation's entry by temporarily lifting sanctions under its host-state agreement with the Inter-Parliamentary Union to facilitate official delegates' participation at international events. At the conference, Matviyenko propagated Kremlin narratives justifying Russia's actions in Ukraine, which prompted Czech and Ukrainian parliamentarians to publicly denounce her participation and boycott her speech. The inclusion of sanctioned Russian officials at the conference has highlighted tensions between Switzerland's neutrality policy and international efforts to sanction Russia, leading to criticism of Switzerland's inconsistent enforcement of sanctions amid ongoing humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The event underscored the broader geopolitical struggle surrounding Russia's invasion and the international community's response within diplomatic and parliamentary forums.