Switzerland Invites a Russian Official to Speak in Geneva Despite Her Role in Launching the War in Ukraine

Matviyenko played a pivotal role in enabling Russia in 2022 to fabricate a quasi-legal pretext for launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. She personally signed the decision passed by the upper house of the Russian parliament allowing the deployment of Russian troops onto Ukrainian territory. 

This raises the question: Why is she being invited to the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Europe, despite her direct involvement in initiating the largest war on the continent since World War II?

Switzerland makes an exception for the Russian war enabler

It’s summer in Geneva, and the weather is pleasant. On July 28, a plane lands at the airport carrying a ten-member delegation representing Russia at the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament. Leading the delegation is Valentina Matviyenko, Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and one of the most influential figures in Russian politics.

The paradox is that Matviyenko—along with several other members of the delegation—is under European sanctions, including those imposed by Switzerland. It has since emerged that the country granted her a special exemption to enter Geneva and speak at the conference. Upon arrival, Matviyenko and her colleagues were met at the airport before heading off to official meetings.

Matviyenko’s presence in Europe at an international conference has sparked surprise, particularly because her delegation is not involved in any peace negotiations concerning the war Russia launched against Ukraine. The fact that she was granted permission to travel and speak has drawn criticism, especially given her role in the war’s outbreak.

Matviyenko was the official who signed and approved the Russian Federation’s decision to begin a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In doing so, she became part of the top echelon of power that, at the state level, authorized the war.

Later, she affixed another crucial signature: ratifying the illegal agreements to annex the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—into the Russian Federation.

Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, commented on Matviyenko’s arrival in Europe, stating that she belongs in the dock of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine.

Using the Geneva stage to spread Russian propaganda

One might assume that Matviyenko’s delegation came to Europe to at least attempt to open dialogue on a ceasefire. But that never happened. The only thing that actually happened was the continued dissemination of propaganda at the international level—something Switzerland effectively sanctioned.

During her speech in Geneva, Matviyenko once again accused the “Kiev regime ” of committing crimes, perpetuating false narratives that were originally used to justify the war:

“Russia was forced to intervene in order to stop the bloodshed, to stop the killing of civilians,” Matviyenko claimed.

She went on to accuse other countries of spreading anti-Russian rhetoric and waging an information war against Moscow. In closing, she called for the lifting of sanctions against Russia, arguing they are “hindering peace.”

It remains unclear why Matviyenko and her colleagues were invited to Geneva. Switzerland has not provided an official explanation, stating only that it reserves the right to permit visits by official representatives when deemed necessary.

The world must remember the precedents set by international criminal tribunals: responsibility for war does not rest solely with a country’s top leaders, but also with those who aid and abet them. Matviyenko’s signatures stand as clear evidence of her direct involvement in the terror inflicted on Ukraine—and the tens of thousands killed as a result.