Sanctioned Russian officials attend Global Parliamentary Summit in Geneva
Editor's note: This article was updated with comments by the Foreign Ministry.
A delegation of sanctioned Russian officials, including the chair of the upper house of Russia's parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, arrived in Switzerland to attend the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, hosted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Geneva, Russian state-controlled media reported on July 28.
The Russian delegation, which also includes Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev and Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Pyotr Tolstoy, all under EU and Swiss sanctions for supporting Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, was granted temporary entry permission by Swiss authorities, according to Swiss media outlet Blick.
Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) explained that under its host-state agreement with the IPU, it is obliged to facilitate the participation of official delegates in international events held on Swiss territory.
According to the FDFA, exceptions to entry bans can be granted under Swiss law "particularly if the person is traveling to attend an international conference."
According to a provisional list of attendees published by the conference organizers and cited by Blick, both Russian and Ukrainian delegations are registered for the event, which is taking place from July 29 to 31 at the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Ukraine's delegation is reportedly led by Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk and includes four members. Russia's delegation includes 13 officials.
Matviyenko, sanctioned by the U.S., EU, and Switzerland since 2014 for her role in the annexation of Crimea and her continued support for Russia's war against Ukraine, delivered a speech at the Women Speakers' Summit, a side event of the conference, on July 28.
Speaking from the podium in Geneva, she repeated standard Kremlin propaganda narratives, accusing Ukraine of targeting civilians in Donetsk Oblast and justifying Russia's invasion as a necessary intervention to "stop the bloodshed."
Matviyenko's remarks come as Russia continues to escalate its attacks on Ukrainian cities, striking civilian infrastructure and causing civilian casualties. The most recent attack on Kyiv, on July 28, left eight people injured — among them a 3-year-old child.
Matviyenko also claimed that the West was waging an "information war" against Russia and called for the lifting of international sanctions. Matviyenko invited leaders from other countries to visit Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry decried Matviyenko's visit to Switzerland amid Russia's war against Ukraine.
"Matvienko's place is in the dock, not at international conferences. Her admission to Geneva is disgraceful and should never have happened," spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said in a post to X.
Tykhyi noted that Matviyenko has publicly endorsed Russia's use of armed force against Ukraine and holds personal responsibility for atrocities committed in Ukraine.
"We urge all participants with at least some self-respect to avoid shaking her hand, which is covered in Ukrainian blood," he said.
The IPU, founded in 1889, brings together parliamentary leaders from almost all UN member states. Although the war in Ukraine is not officially on the agenda, the conference includes panels on "parliamentary cooperation and multilateralism for peace" and "a peaceful future in a turbulent world."
