Dozens of delegates walk out on Russia’s Federation Council head in Geneva
Photo: Valentina Matviyenko, Russia’s Federation Council head (Getty Images)
During a speech by the head of Russia’s Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko, at the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, dozens of delegations from various countries staged a walkout in protest against the Russian representative, according to Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Olena Kondratiuk, who is representing Ukraine at the event.
The video shows several dozen members of the delegations leaving the hall during Matviyenko's speech.
"There was a walkout during Matviyenko’s speech at the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva! I’m proud of all our partners and colleagues! This is a protest against the aggressor and a powerful show of support for the people of Ukraine," Kondratiuk wrote.
Speaking later on national television, she emphasized that the protest was primarily a show of solidarity with Ukraine.
"That half-empty hall where Matviyenko was speaking is a clear sign of how democratic nations and their parliaments view the aggressor state," she added.
Matviyenko’s visit to Switzerland
On July 27, the head of Russia’s Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko, arrived in Switzerland to attend the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Heorhii Tykhyi, stated that Matviyenko belongs in the dock, not at international conferences.
"Her admission to Geneva is disgraceful and should never have happened. Genocidal Matviyenko bears personal responsibility for the crime of aggression and the subsequent atrocities following her public endorsement of the deployment of Russian armed forces into Ukrainian territory," he emphasized.
Tykhyi urged all participants of the conference to refrain from shaking the hand "stained with Ukrainian blood."
Earlier, Matviyenko reaffirmed that Russia has no intention of making concessions to end the war against Ukraine.
