The Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament strongly criticized the presence of a Russian representative at an international parliamentary forum in Geneva, rejecting a proposal for a meeting between the two sides, AFP reported.

Host country Switzerland allowed Russia to participate in the conference despite imposed sanctions. Among the Russian delegation was Valentina Matviyenko, Chairwoman of the Federation Council—the upper chamber of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

Olena Kondratiuk, Deputy Speaker of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, expressed outrage at the presence of the Russian delegation in Geneva. “I am shocked that the delegation of the Russian Federation is in Geneva,” she wrote on Facebook, stressing that “sanctioned individuals cannot freely attend international forums,” referring to sanctions imposed due to Russia’s actions in Ukraine since 2014.

Both delegations attended the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, held more than three years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), organizer of the three-day forum, called for a meeting between representatives from Moscow and Kyiv, but without success. IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong stated: “As a global forum of parliaments, we would encourage such a meeting because we are built on dialogue.” He added that the IPU has a working group dedicated to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine and that “at least both sides are talking to the Inter-Parliamentary Union.”

However, Kondratiuk urged other participants at the forum to boycott any public appearances involving Matviyenko. “Any group photo or handshake with her means support for the aggressor,” she said.

Speaker of the UK House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle reminded attendees during the opening session: “We must not stop reminding Russia that it is wrong to illegally occupy and attack a sovereign state.”

Founded in 1889, the Inter-Parliamentary Union promotes peace, democracy, and human rights through parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue.

During the opening on Tuesday, 80-year-old American actor Michael Douglas, a UN Messenger of Peace since 1998, warned: “The world is now more dangerous than at any point in my lifetime.” He noted that countries are spending more on military hardware and less on the people they claim to protect. “Money has corrupted politics, and what once seemed like a uniquely American problem is now everywhere,” added the Wall Street actor. | BGNES