During the speech of the Speaker of the Federation Council of the russian federation Valentina Matviyenko at the conference of parliament speakers in Geneva, several dozen delegates walked out of the hall in protest.
The video of this event was released by the Vice Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Olena Kondratiuk.
The footage shows the participants of the event leaving the hall, leaving the russian delegation to speak to an almost empty hall.
Meanwhile, a picket by Ukrainians, who have been opposing the participation of the russian delegation in the forum for several days, continues outside the UN building. According to one of the participants in the action, Volodymyr Riabchun, the activists are currently leaving in small groups of 5-6 people because the arrival of the russians came as a surprise.
"Today we have reached 30 people, but we are standing in different locations. [...] No one expected that in the conditions of the third year of a full-scale war and sanctions they were invited to the forum," he noted.
Activists demand that Europe not provide russian officials with the opportunity to participate in such international forums.
A demarche during Matviyenko's speech at the World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments in Geneva!!!
— Olena Kondratiuk (@Ole_Kondratiuk) July 30, 2025
I am proud of all our partners and colleagues! This is a demarche against the aggressor, a tremendous support for the people of Ukraine!
💪 Thank you, sincerely, it brings… pic.twitter.com/u2qCfarCn1
On July 28, it became known that a russian delegation led by the sanctioned Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko arrived in Switzerland to participate in the sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments in Geneva. Matviyenko was to speak in a discussion on peace and cooperation. Although she and several other russians are on the sanctions lists, Switzerland did not ban their entry due to the status of international organizations headquartered in the country.
Recall that last year, the SSU documented new crimes by Valentina Matviyenko, the Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the russian federation, who is promoting the russian war against Ukraine. She is among the closest associates of dictator vladimir putin and authorized a full-scale invasion by an aggressor country.
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