Bloomberg: Matviyenko arrives in Geneva as Italy, France give her overflight clearance

Valentyna Matvienko , the speaker of the Russian Federation Council, who is under European sanctions, was able to attend a conference in Geneva after Italy and France granted permission for the government plane of the aggressor state to fly over. This was reported by the agency Bloomberg with reference to unnamed interlocutors familiar with the matter.

The European Union banned Russian planes from flying in its airspace a few days after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, saying that member states would "refuse permission to land, take off or fly over their territories".

The plane, with Matvienko on board, flew over Turkey and the Mediterranean Sea before flying through Italy to Geneva on Monday and then to Moscow on Wednesday via French and Italian airspace, according to online flight tracking.

Italy has allowed the Russian plane to enter its airspace at the request of the Swiss government, according to sources in Rome familiar with the matter.

The Italian government consulted with French authorities, who also received a request for overflight, before granting permission, they said.

The French Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A spokesperson for the Swiss Foreign Ministry declined to comment on Matvienko's case, but said the government could allow exceptions, "especially if the person is traveling to participate in an international conference".

He added that although Swiss airspace is closed to Russian aircraft, "exceptions are provided, in particular, for flights for humanitarian, medical or diplomatic purposes".

• Matviyenko flew to Geneva to attend the World Conference of Presidents of Parliaments. The Deputy Speaker of the Rada called Matviyenko's participation in the summit "appeasement of the aggressor" and hypocrisy. She called on participants to boycott events with the participation of the Russian delegation.
• The Foreign Ministry said that Matviyenko's place is in the dock, not at international events.