More than 200 Kremlin critics, including prominent former political prisoners, have condemned Switzerland for allowing a high-level Russian parliamentary delegation to attend an international conference in Geneva, calling it a dangerous normalization of relations with Moscow amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The delegation, led by Valentina Matvienko, speaker of Russia’s upper house of parliament, arrived in Geneva on Sunday to take part in a three-day meeting of global lawmakers convened by the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The group also included Pyotr Tolstoi, deputy speaker of the lower house, and Leonid Slutsky, head of its international affairs committee — all of whom are under EU and international sanctions.
In an open letter signed by figures such as Vladimir Kara-Murza, Oleg Orlov, and Ilya Yashin, the critics accused Switzerland of giving a platform to “key figures of the Putin regime” who are “directly responsible for unleashing the aggressive war against Ukraine” and for widespread repression within Russia.
“While Geneva hosts war criminals Matvienko, Tolstoi, and Slutsky, Russian troops continue to launch missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. Civilians, children, and women are dying,” the signatories stated.
Ukrainian officials also expressed outrage. Olena Kondratiuk, deputy speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, questioned why representatives of a state condemned by the UN and other bodies were being welcomed. Neither she nor Matvienko appeared in the group photo following their addresses to the assembly.
The visit, one of the highest-profile European appearances by sanctioned Russian officials since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, has sparked concerns of a “creeping lifting of sanctions,” as described by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s team.
Switzerland defended its decision, saying it was acting in line with legal and diplomatic norms. The foreign ministry noted that exemptions to travel restrictions may be granted for participation in international conferences.
However, critics argue the gesture risks undermining international efforts to isolate the Kremlin. “Now is not the time to show weakness to the Kremlin and allow accomplices to war to be welcomed in democratic countries,” said Olga Prokopieva, head of the Paris-based group Russie-Libertés.
The controversy comes amid signs of tentative diplomatic engagements, including a rare meeting in the U.S. between the heads of NASA and Russia’s Roscosmos this week, the first such dialogue in eight years.
Written By Rodney Mbua
