Walentina Matwijenko

Walentina Matwijenko is a prominent Russian politician and the chairwoman of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Federal Assembly of Russia. A long-time ally of President Vladimir Putin, she has been a significant figure in Russian politics and has supported controversial legislation, including those related to the annexation of Ukrainian territories. Recently, she was in the news due to her participation in meetings of the Interparliamentary Union in Geneva, where she represented Russia despite being on a sanctions list imposed by several countries in response to Russia's actions in Ukraine.