The Ukrainian delegation walked out of the event at the European Parliament due to a speech by Russian Daria Navalnaya

The Ukrainian delegation walked out of the European Youth Event at the European Parliament in Strasbourg due to a speech by Russian citizen Daria Navalnaya.

The daughter of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was highlighted by the organizers as one of the main speakers of the event, according to the Lviv City Council.

Navalnaya took part in one of the main discussion panels and delivered a keynote inspirational speech.

Ukrainian delegates Solomiia Koval, Taya Mamchak, and Daryna Pidlubna said they only learned about Navalnaya’s participation once they were already in the hall — there had been no prior warning.

“She spoke about human rights, freedom of speech and expression — while Russia is destroying those very rights in Ukraine every day… We came from a country that is under constant attack. Our peers are dying on the front lines. And seeing a Russian woman given a key role in the European Parliament is offensive to us and to our struggle,” the Lviv delegates stated.

According to the Ukrainian delegates, Russian lawyer Vyacheslav Samonov also spoke at the forum, and Russian language was heard in the corridors.

Lviv, as the European Youth Capital 2025, plans to send an official letter to the President of the European Parliament.

“I don’t know what Ukrainians have done to deserve this — that today our youth must defend their country and die for their homeland in one part of Europe, while in another, they are expected to take part in public events on equal footing with Russians and listen to the keynote speech of the forum delivered by a Russian,” responded Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi.

The European Youth Event is the largest youth forum in Europe, held every two years at the European Parliament.

A few years ago, Dasha Navalnaya was invited by Georgetown University: she was scheduled to deliver a speech on “freedom of speech” at the graduation ceremony for students of diplomacy. However, students signed a petition against her appearance.

The petitioners were outraged that Dasha Navalnaya had not condemned Russia’s war against Ukraine, and that her father had previously claimed that Crimea would remain part of Russia (“Crimea is not a sandwich”) and supported Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008.

Olena Barsukova