Thread by @khodorkovsky_en

Europe just welcomed Russia's #3 official—the woman who personally signed off on invading Ukraine—to a conference in Geneva.

While ordinary Russians can't get tourist visas, sanctioned war enablers flew freely through EU airspace.

🧵So... who is Valentina Matviyenko?

Matviyenko ranks third in Russia's hierarchy after Putin and Prime Minister Mishustin. She's been speaker of the Federation Council since 2011 and a permanent member of Putin's Security Council.

In March 2020, she led the constitutional amendment vote that reset Putin's term limits. 160 senators voted in favor, 1 against. These changes allow Putin to potentially remain in power until 2036. She called it "one of the most important issues in Russia's modern history."

Under her leadership, the Federation Council approved electoral changes that restrict competition while maintaining democratic appearances.

These changes allow Putin to potentially remain in power until 2036. She called it "one of the most important issues in Russia's modern history."

Matviyenko has been under US, EU, UK and Swiss sanctions since 2014 for her role in Crimea's annexation.

On February 22, 2022, Matviyenko presided over the Federation Council session that authorized Putin to deploy military forces abroad. She personally signed the decision. Two days later, Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

This marks the first high-level Russian delegation visit to Europe since the invasion began. With EU airspace closed to Russian aircraft, the delegation flew via Turkey and the Mediterranean. Italy granted overflight permission at Switzerland's request, Bloomberg reports: bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

At the conference, Matviyenko repeated state propaganda talking points. She justified military action against what she called the "Kyiv regime" and invited attendees to visit occupied Donbas. She accused Western countries of conducting an "information war" against Russia.

Russian dissidents fleeing persecution for opposing Putin often can't get visas, open bank accounts or rent an apartment. Yet, senior officials directly responsible for authorizing the war fly openly across Europe and back. This is a travesty.

I support cultural and educational exchanges with Russian civil society. These connections matter. But official receptions for regime figures who enabled the war signal acceptance of Putin's actions.

Meetings with Russian officials should serve clear purposes: negotiating an end to the war, discussing prisoner exchanges, or addressing humanitarian crises. Conference participation without conditions is not it.

Matviyenko has been sanctioned for a decade. She oversees a rubber-stamp parliament that passed laws destroying electoral competition. She controls the legislative machinery that keeps Putin in power. Yet Switzerland treats her as a legitimate parliamentarian.

This photo was taken just 5 days before the conference.

Europe must choose: stand against war or accommodate Putin's authoritarianism. There's no in-between.