Dozens of parliamentarians from various countries staged a coordinated walkout during a speech by Russian Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matvienko at the World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments in Switzerland on 30 July.

Why the mass walkout? According to Ukrainian Parliament Vice-Speaker Olena Kondratiuk, it sent a clear message about Russian aggression.

“This is a walkout against the aggressor,” Kondratiuk said, describing tears in her eyes as she watched international colleagues leave.

The half-empty hall, she argued, showed exactly how democratic parliaments view Russia.

Czech Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies Speaker Marketa Pekarova Adamova also made her reasoning explicit. She refused to be “a prop in the lies on which the criminal Kremlin regime is based.”

“She herself bears personal responsibility for the crime of aggression and all subsequent Russian atrocities after publicly approving the use of armed forces on Ukrainian territory,” Adamova wrote.

Better to spend time with colleagues “who support Ukraine in its fight for freedom and democracy,” she added.

But why was Matvienko allowed into Geneva at all? Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry had called her conference participation “disgraceful.” Spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi put it bluntly: her place should be “in the dock, not at international conferences.”

Here’s the problem: Matvienko appears on EU sanctions lists related to Russia’s invasion. So does much of the Russian delegation. Switzerland honors these sanctions—with one exception. The country permits sanctioned individuals to enter when visiting international organizations based there.

What had Matvienko been saying? Two days earlier, she invited international parliamentarians to visit occupied Ukrainian territories and see the “Alley of Angels.” This is a memorial in Donetsk that Russian forces erected allegedly commemorating children killed by Ukrainian forces in the conflict, which is considered a Russian propaganda narrative as there is no independent proof and convincing evidence. 

Earlier, Ukraine’s Security Service charged Matvienko in absentia in 2024 under multiple articles. According to investigators, she signed parliamentary decisions authorizing Russian troop deployment in Ukraine. She also approved ratification agreements for annexing occupied Ukrainian territories. She faces additional charges including incitement to wage aggressive war, for which Ukraine plans to prosecute her at a Special Tribunal.

Unexpected results from a social survey have stunned observers. According to research by the SCIO agency in cooperation with the portal Rozhovory so Šimonom, 14% of Slovaks surveyed openly want to join Russia, and another 18% consider this possibility.

The idea is most supported by students and the unemployed, which, according to SCIO analyst Martin Klu, rather reflects economic instability and disappointment with the country’s Western course than genuine loyalty to the Kremlin.

Attitudes toward military neutrality

Respondents were also separately asked about military neutrality. Here, 32.5% opposed neutrality if it led to a decline in living standards. Meanwhile, 15% support neutrality under any circumstances.

Socio-economic distribution of views

The least support for the ideas of “neutrality” and “Russian integration” is observed among people with higher education, urban residents, and citizens with above-average incomes. Analysts believe this is linked to the economic stability and better prospects of these groups.

Russia demands Ukraine surrender before peace, the Institute for the Study of War reports, warning that the Kremlin’s latest peace rhetoric is merely a rebranded version of its original war goals. On 20 July, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov publicly reiterated that Moscow is prepared for rapid negotiations—but only if all Russian conditions are accepted without compromise.

Russia insists on Ukraine’s full political and military capitulation

According to ISW, Peskov’s statements confirm Russia’s continued refusal to engage in any meaningful diplomatic process. He stated that Russia’s objectives are “obvious” and “do not change”—a phrase that aligns with Moscow’s long-standing calls for Ukraine to disarm, abandon its NATO aspirations, and replace its current leadership.

The think tank notes that these demands fall in line with the Kremlin’s narrative of “denazification” and “demilitarization,” language that has always signaled regime change in Kyiv and the erosion of Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. Peskov’s remarks show that Russia’s position on negotiations remains maximalist and unchanged since the invasion began.

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ISW: Kremlin dismisses US terms, demands Ukraine cede non-occupied territories

ISW: Kremlin’s “peace” offer masks intent to prolong war

ISW says Peskov’s statements “underline the Kremlin’s continued uninterest in good-faith negotiations with Ukraine and efforts rather to prolong the war — as ISW continues to assess.”

Russia demands Ukraine surrender before peace, ISW underlines, and frames its conditions as removing the so-called “root causes” of the war—a euphemism for erasing Ukraine’s sovereignty and reversing NATO’s open-door policy, “and the removal of Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against future Russian aggression.”