Valentina Matvienko spoke during a discussion at the 8th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit.
Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko called accusations against Russia unsubstantiated and unfounded. She was speaking during a discussion at the 8th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia.
In her view, the parliamentary community should make every effort to avoid unnecessary escalation or emotionality, any further growth of tension. “But I have an obligation to respond to some of the unsubstantiated and unfounded accusations against Russia.”
Valentina Matvienko asked why enlightened Europe and the United Kingdom had not acknowledged the regular artillery attacks by Ukraine even once in eight years after the coup d’état in Ukraine that the West supported. She also reminded the participants of the summit about the bombing of Yugoslavia, the invasion of Iraq and Libya by NATO forces, and the situation in Afghanistan.
Responding to the accusations that Russia was responsible for the food and energy crises, Valentina Matvienko insisted on investigating who blew up the Nord Stream pipelines in the first place. “Those gas pipelines were built by companies from five European states,” the Federation Council Speaker reminded the audience.
Valentina Matvienko noted that Russia had repeatedly proposed negotiations to resolve the crisis in Ukraine. “We almost reached an agreement. But, unfortunately, Ukraine, being under external control, rejected it,” she added.
“Let’s sit down at the negotiating table today, at the G20 venue, the Russian parliament and the Ukrainian parliament. Let’s try to understand each other, find agreement,” she suggested.
Clearly, no response to this proposal should be expected because Ukraine is not free to make decisions, Valentina Matvienko emphasised while talking to the media following the session. In her opinion, this gets to the core of what is happening in Ukraine. “The Ukrainian delegation’s address consisted of hackneyed accusations; the audience’s reaction was rather muted. Their attempt to put on another show failed due to a lack of support from parliamentarians,” the Speaker of the Federation Council said.
She also clarified that the new regions’ accession to the Russian Federation were, of course, off limits for negotiations. “This is out of the question. They have already become part of Russia. But we are willing to put an end to further hostilities on the terms offered by Russia. Dialogue among parliamentarians could pave the way for that.”