Sanctioned top Putin ally allowed to fly over EU to attend conference in Geneva, Bloomberg reports

Valentina Matviyenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and one of Russia’s most senior officials, traveled to Switzerland this week through European airspace despite being under international sanctions over her role in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on July 30.

Matviyenko, who serves as the speaker of Russia’s Federation Council—the upper house of parliament and third in the Kremlin’s hierarchy—led a Russian delegation to the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament and the Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament in Geneva. The conferences were organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union in cooperation with the United Nations.

The 76-year-old, sanctioned by the EU, U.S., U.K., and Switzerland, oversaw Russian parliamentary votes approving both the deployment of troops into Ukraine and the illegal annexation of four partially occupied Ukrainian regions.

Despite an EU-wide ban on Russian aircraft entering its airspace, Matviyenko’s government plane flew over Turkey and the Mediterranean before entering Italy’s airspace en route to Geneva on July 28. She returned to Moscow two days later via French and Italian airspace, according to online flight tracking data.

Sources in Rome told Bloomberg that Italy approved the overflight at the request of the Swiss government and consulted with French authorities beforehand. France’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately comment.

Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry declined to discuss Matviyenko’s case specifically but confirmed that exemptions can be made for sanctioned individuals attending international conferences. While Swiss airspace is closed to Russian planes, exceptions are allowed for “humanitarian, medical, or diplomatic purposes,” a spokesperson said.

At the Geneva conference, Matviyenko repeated disinformation about Ukraine, claiming the country was controlled by “Nazis” who seized power in 2014 and portraying Russia’s invasion as justified resistance against the “Kyiv regime.” She also encouraged attendees to visit occupied areas of the Donbas to “counter the information war against Russia.”

The European Commission said it had not issued a waiver for Matviyenko or her flight. However, EU member states are permitted to approve exceptions on a case-by-case basis for reasons including humanitarian need, participation in intergovernmental meetings, or efforts that support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union confirmed that both Russian and Ukrainian delegations were invited “to provide a space for possible dialogue.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry condemned Matviyenko’s appearance at the event. Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi wrote on X: “Her place is in the dock, not at international conferences.”