ICRC Ready to Act as Mediator Between Russia and Ukraine

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is prepared to act as a mediator for the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine, should the parties request it. Boris Michel, the head of the organization's delegation in Moscow, made this statement in an interview with RIA Novosti.

“I would like to note that we regularly meet with the Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia, Ms. Tatyana Moskalkova, to discuss various issues related to detainees, missing persons, and the protection of civilians. The ICRC is not involved in the exchange of prisoners in Russia and Ukraine. This is managed by the country's authorities; we are not part of that process. However, we are ready to act as a neutral party, a mediator, if the parties ask us to,” he said.

This summer, Russian Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova held a meeting with Michel and his staff, during which they discussed issues related to visiting prisoners and exchanged information concerning assistance to civilians, particularly those wishing to connect with relatives in Ukraine and Russia.