ICRC Head of Mission in Ukraine Juan Pedro Schaerer summoned to Ukrainian Foreign Ministry
The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) mission in Ukraine, Juan Pedro Schaerer, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Ukraine to discuss some incorrect public statements by the committee's leadership. Following the meeting, ICRC representatives "recognized the inappropriateness of attempts to equate responsibility" between the aggressor country and the defending country, and agreed "with the need to improve the committee's communication approaches in the future," the MFA press service reported.
On January 20, at the instruction of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross mission in Ukraine, Juan-Pedro Schaerer, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to discuss what it described as several inappropriate public statements by the organization’s leadership, the ministry said on Telegram on Tuesday.
During the meeting, the Ukrainian side expressed deep disappointment with a statement made on January 14, 2026, by the ICRC’s regional director for Europe and Central Asia, which it said effectively equated the responsibility of Russia as the aggressor state with that of Ukraine, which is defending itself and its people, for human suffering.
Ukrainian officials stressed that, unlike the Russian aggressor, Ukraine conducts strikes exclusively against legitimate military targets in the exercise of its inherent right to self-defense in accordance with the U.N. Charter.
"In this context, any attempts to identify, equate or draw false parallels between Ukraine and Russia are immoral, erroneous and absolutely unacceptable," the Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry said Ukraine expects the ICRC to be more persistent in ensuring uninterrupted access to Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians illegally held by Russia, as well as in its public communications.
ICRC representatives acknowledged that attempts to equate responsibility were inappropriate and agreed on the need to improve the committee’s communications going forward. Juan-Pedro Schaerer also said that he and his colleagues in Kyiv understand the humanitarian situation on the ground and have witnessed the consequences of Russian attacks firsthand.
"The sides agreed to promote further strengthening of bilateral dialogue, including through visits, to ensure the ICRC has a deeper understanding of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine caused by Russian attacks, and discussed ways to enhance ICRC efforts to gain access to Ukrainian prisoners of war and detained civilians," the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine said.
