Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Olena Kondratiuk, who represents Ukraine at the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, calls on summit participants to boycott the russian delegation.
«I call on the participants of the Conference of Speakers to boycott any public events involving this international criminal, Matviyenko. Any joint photo or handshake with her means siding with the aggressor. And this will definitely be used by russian propaganda to justify the crimes of the russian federation,» Olena Kondratiuk said in her Facebook post.
Geneva is hosting the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, which is organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union approximately every five years. The russian delegation, led by Valentina Matviyenko, arrived in Geneva to participate in the conference despite personal sanctions, causing outrage.
The Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada noted that she plans to use the platform of the World Conference to convey the truth about russia's aggression against Ukraine. About the daily shelling and daily casualties, about the kidnapped children whom russia uses as hostages and wants to exchange for prisoners of war, about Ukraine's need for air defence, about russia's false position on peace talks, about the threat that russia poses to the whole world.
«A separate point I will talk about is the strengthening of the sanctions policy. Even so: strengthening the discipline of sanctions policy. Persons subject to sanctions cannot fly freely to international gatherings. They cannot spread their narratives in the most representative forums. What then is the point of sanctions?» said Olena Kondratiuk.
«Matvienko, as a person who approved russia's armed aggression and all subsequent crimes against Ukraine, should be sitting in the dock of the Special International Tribunal, the creation of which, incidentally, was supported by Switzerland. I am saddened that after all the resolutions of the Swiss Parliament in support of Ukraine, condemning russia's crimes against our children, Matvienko and her associates, who are also subject to sanctions, are walking around Lake Geneva and have a platform at a major international conference,» said the Deputy Speaker.
In her opinion, it is very important to show the demarche of all democratic countries against russia's presence at the summit of speakers: the shameful presence of criminals cannot be allowed without any reaction.