Ukrainian Ombudsman Describes Red Cross’s Lack of Reaction to Russia’s Crimes as “Ostrich Mentality”

The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) does not condemn the Russian Federation’s crimes against Ukraine, pretending they don’t exist.

This opinion was expressed by the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets on air for the national telethon.

During Lubinets’s meeting with the President of IFRC Kate Forbes in Geneva on May 7, he handed over documents regarding the crimes of the Russian Red Cross, which violates the principles of neutrality by directly collecting aid for the Russian army, additionally, the head of the organization from the Russian Federation cooperates with the so-called head of the children camp “Artek” in occupied Crimea.

“And the direct assistance of the Red Cross of the Russian Federation results in the fact that Ukrainian children illegally undergo the so-called military training and re-education procedure there. The Russian Red Cross directly participates in the process of illegally changing the identification of Ukrainian children,” Lubinets said.

The Ombudsman also handed over documents that show that the Russian Red Cross has been illegally using property owned by the Ukrainian Red Cross in Crimea since 2014.

“It has been 10 years since the Russians stole the property of Ukrainians, and for 10 years the International Federation, which includes the Russian Red Cross, has taken the position of an ostrich. They keep silent, they cannot express support, and for some reason, they cannot express condemnation either,” Lubinets added.

Dmytro Lubinets has also raised the issue of the Belarusian Red Cross, calling on absolute exclusion from the Federation due to its involvement in the deportation of Ukrainian children. The Ombudsman asked the IFRC to assist in the verification of Ukrainian children who were taken to or through the territory of Belarus.