This interview was recorded during Kate Forbes’ visit to Russia in May 2026
Written by Natalia Kostarnova
— Could you please tell us what the IFRC is and how its work differs from other components of the Movement?
— The International Movement of Red Cross and Red Crescent comprises three components. The first one, the International Committee of the Red Cross works primarily in armed conflict zones. The second one, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies provides aid during emergencies, health crises, supports displaced people, coordinates the efforts of Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, helping them transform and develop, and contributing to the resilience of communities. 191 National Societies make the third component of the Movement.
Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies play a unique and the most important role in their countries, acting as auxiliary organizations to the state authorities in humanitarian field. They provide support to people through a wide range of activities, including emergency trainings and response, medical and social services, first aid training, blood donation, support to vulnerable groups, and humanitarian aid during crises and emergencies. While closely collaborating with state authorities and complementing their services, National Societies maintain their independence and pursue their humanitarian mission in line with the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. These very principles enable them to help people based solely on their needs, enjoy public trust, and effectively support those most in need.
— There are many internally displaced persons in Russia from Donbas, the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and also from Kyiv-controlled territories. What support does Russian Red Cross receive from the Federation to work with these people?
— The conflict has been ongoing for a long time, and we are providing assistance to those affected on both sides. With the support of the Federation and the Russian Red Cross, displaced people in Russia are receiving basic necessities and material aid. We remain neutral and rely on the assistance of National Societies to support those affected, despite the ongoing conflict.
Needless to say, conflicts affect all parties involved. They harm people everywhere – families, children, older and disabled people – regardless of who they are and where they live. That’s why the Red Cross is present wherever it is needed. We do not take sides. We help people based on their needs.
Russian Red Cross with support of the International Federation helps displaced people, including those internally displaced and newly arrived, providing financial assistance, essential supplies and basic services. This support reaches affected individuals and communities near the border with Ukraine.
With support of the International Federation and other partners, Russian Red Cross also provides humanitarian services and helps people access social and legal assistance, professional training and support to secure livelihood. Psychosocial support is provided through branches, mobile teams and hot lines helping people cope with social implications of displacement.
In December 2025, the International Federation published a reviewed emergency appeal regarding the international armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine having extended it for two years until December 2027. The goal of the appeal is to raise CHF 800 million and provide assistance to more than 1 million people over a year in Ukraine, Russia and Moldova.
We managed to raise CHF 539 million out of the planned CHF 800 million. However, 97% of this amount has already been used to support humanitarian work in the last four years, consequently the current balance is less than CHF 40 million. Therefore, we are facing a funding shortfall of CHF 260 million for 2026–2027. This is insufficient to meet the current humanitarian needs.
The reduction of international support already has repercussions for people affected by the conflict: delays in the reconstruction of housing and infrastructure, lack of access to basic services, social benefits and medical care.
— How does the Federation assess the scale of needs in Russian regions bordering the war zone?
— We rely heavily on the International Committee of the Red Cross and our National Societies, which determine priorities: where to house people, whether heating, food, water, cooling systems are needed. In case of unexpected situations, it is the National Societies, with the support of the Federation, that provide the full range of necessary assistance.
In addition, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has a system of expert emergency aid. If there is an emergency, the Federation helps the National Societies either with funds or delivers products they need.
— Water, food, and heating — these are emergency aid. But in Russia, the issue of displaced persons has long since entered the long-term integration phase. Is the Federation ready to assist Russian Red Cross and the regions at this stage? If so, how do you help in the long term?
— We understand how important it is to help people not only with emergency relief measures but also with other kinds of support that help them cope with the aftermath of past events. Especially when it comes to psychological support, which is needed for all categories of victims. It is a vitally important issue in today’s world, so I’m happy that Russian Red Cross has staff psychologists who focus a lot on this subject.
Together with Russian Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross, we have also been working several years on professional adaptation programs for displaced persons and refugees so that people who lost their homes could get back to their normal life. Our initiatives have been focused on professional retraining since 2023, and additionally on funding small business initiatives since 2025. These programs help displaced people to make a living and regain independence. Thus, thanks to these initiatives more than 500 people could get a new profession and more than 100 people started their own business.
Such long-term recovery support contributes to restoring stability and enhancing resilience of those affected by prolonged displacement.
— It seems that the international humanitarian community is primarily focused on Ukrainian refugees in Europe. Meanwhile, those displaced in Russian regions, residents of border areas, and those living in Donbas have been marginalized since 2014. How would you comment on this disparity?
— Neutrality is one of our fundamental principles, and we ask donors to respect it. It's very difficult for us to see people in need go unaided. The International Federation has proven its ability to listen to people and respond to their needs. We support the National Society, which helps those affected by crisis. And the principle of neutrality remains at the core of everything.
We can comment only on the work of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. We are present on both sides of the conflict and help people based solely on their needs.
Our fundamental principle is that humanitarian aid must be impartial, i.e. determined solely by the need and not the political context of the country or projected image of its government. Our role and our request to donors are based on this principle. We acknowledge that the decisions donors are making can be influenced by political considerations, which are beyond our control, but we are trying to put forward the most compelling arguments based on humanitarian grounds.
Donors may have different points of view shaped by their own foreign policy context, public opinion and experience with the IFRC and the specific region. Our role is to provide potential donors – regardless of geographical location – with factual real-time information required for their decision making based on humanitarian considerations.
— How do you assess the current system of funding humanitarian aid? Are there any problems due to global crises?
— From the International Federation's perspective, the volume of humanitarian aid worldwide is declining, while needs are growing. We need to change: it is necessary to increase transparency and accountability, seek new, more effective ways of working, and perhaps change our internal structure. But the main thing remains the same: people in dire situations must receive assistance.
Global humanitarian system is facing a growing imbalance between increasing needs and shrinking financial resources. Conflicts, natural disasters related to climate change, and economic instability lead to record growth in demand, whereas the amount of funding is declining.
This puts a serious strain on humanitarian organizations with many of them reducing the scope of their activities and laying off employees to cut costs. The consequences are clear for people in need: fewer communities receive help and the support is often cut, which widens the gap in such important services as healthcare, food security and disaster response.
The current wave of humanitarian funding cuts reflects a structural transformation rather than a temporal downturn. Traditional donor countries face mounting fiscal pressure and are reallocating budgets toward domestic priorities and defense spending. Humanitarian sector must now adapt to a long-term environment characterized by more limited and more uncertain resources.
Historically humanitarian system was heavily dependent on funding from a small number of donors. As contributions decrease, new donors have the opportunity to take on a more prominent role. This shift can accelerate the transmission to multipolar system of humanitarian funding.
The IFRC is adapting to this new reality – we have launched our upgrade strategy that focuses on localization. We are committed to direct 75% of international funding to organizations locally, such as the Russian Red Cross. At the same time, we attempt to bring decision making closer to affected communities and develop local capacity through our 191 National Societies and 17 million volunteers.
— Why is funding declining? Businesses aren't donating, people can't afford it, governments are cutting back?
— It's a complex issue. Human needs are currently growing so rapidly that even if you had the same amount of money, it would still be insufficient to meet the increased demands.
Furthermore, the volume of harmful information is growing, preventing people from receiving accurate information. Disinformation and misinformation have become serious barriers to effective humanitarian action. According to World Disasters Report 2026, harmful information can undermine trust to humanitarian organizations, spread fear and confusion, intensify polarization within society, obstruct people from receiving or accepting life-saving aid. False narratives may hinder humanitarian access, delay emergency response, enhance risks for staff and volunteers, as well as erode public trust in humanitarian principles, such as neutrality, impartiality and independence. In many crisis situations, information now determines access to aid, safety and human dignity, making the fight against misinformation and disinformation an integral part of delivering principled and effective humanitarian aid.
Governments are focusing on domestic issues and military spending, devoting less attention to humanitarian issues. Countries' global priorities are also changing. Nevertheless, we have remained a strong movement for 160 years now and a unique global platform that is both accountable to donors and helps people.
— How does the Federation interact with Russian government authorities and governments in other countries, particularly regarding access to areas where military operations are taking place?
— The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies operates in rather challenging regions. To ensure we can continue this work, we must know that we will be operating in a safe environment. Such a safe environment is what governments can provide. When I meet with government officials in any country around the world, I remind them of the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law, and that our organization is capable of reaching the most vulnerable people. Through such global dialogue, we can ensure the accessibility to aid.
— How does the Federation assess the safety of its employees and volunteers directly in the combat zone?
— I'd like to give a good answer. Our people often work in unsafe conditions. We're raising the awareness of governments and the public. It's important that children in schools know the Red Cross symbols and understand why they should be respected. We need to discuss the principle of neutrality more often and more openly — with children among others. Such interviews help explain why the Red Cross is needed in conflicts and emergency situations.
The safety of our staff and volunteers is paramount to me. If we don’t have a safe environment in which we can operate, we simply cannot work. For us to be able to deliver aid to the people here, the government must engage and respect humanitarian law. I also try to talk about this at meetings. This is my major focus.
The most serious violations are attacks on our staff members and volunteers. When it happens, of course, we try to discuss this issue with governments, but unfortunately it happens all over the world.
— Over the years of the conflict in Ukraine, Russian Red Cross has faced several campaigns of criticism. How does the Federation protect it from politicization and such criticism?
— In the age of social media, a lot of misinformation is spreading, which can cause people to lose trust in the Red Cross and its ability to help. We identify and explain these misinformation cases, and support all 191 National Societies, wherever they are. Information management is becoming the baseline of our work: if we fail to address it, we cannot continue our work.
Harmful information is not just a communication problem; it has become a humanitarian crisis of its own. In today’s polarized environment, harmful information can spread quickly, undermine trust, hinder rescue operations and put both communities and humanitarian organizations staff at risk. This means that working with information today is just as important as giving help.
In our recently published world disasters report, we have outlined a series of recommendations for the media, governments, academia, tech companies, civil society and humanitarian actors to combat harmful information and identify specific pathways for action across various sectors. We are also strengthening our internal monitoring and response capacity to be able to respond to reputational risks faster and more effectively.
We are a neutral and impartial organization without any political agenda. Our ability to help vulnerable population groups depends on the protection of a humanitarian space free from political influence, polarization and interference. Now more than ever before, we have to protect humanitarian principles that make this work possible.
— What violations are of greatest concern to the Federation in terms of the safety of its staff and volunteers?
— The safety of our staff and volunteers is paramount to me. We can't operate without a safe environment. To deliver aid to people, governments have to comply with humanitarian law. I constantly emphasize this at meetings. The most serious violations are attacks on our people; we've already lost over a hundred staff and volunteers worldwide. In such cases, we try to discuss the situation with governments, but the tragedies continue.
We see that the world is becoming a more dangerous place, not least for humanitarian workers in many parts of the world, including Sudan, Gaza and others. Since 2024, more than 70 Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers and staff members lost their lives or were killed while serving their communities, making 2024 the deadliest year on record in the history of humanitarian action.
Humanitarian workers from affected communities are often the first to arrive on the scene and hit the hardest by attacks. Violence against humanitarian personnel affects everyone in the sector; however, recent years have shown that the vast majority of those killed, injured or kidnapped are local staff and volunteers.
Humanitarian personnel must never be a target. Every attack on them is a violation of international humanitarian law and the principle of humanity. We call upon all states and actors to ensure their safety, security and unimpeded access, for when humanitarian workers are attacked, entire communities are left without vital assistance.
— How do you generally evaluate the work of the Russian Red Cross, especially over the past five years?
— Let me share my impressions of the three-day visit to Russia. I saw the real work of Russian Red Cross within the country: the educational center, assistance to displaced persons, first aid training at the Moscow city branch. I previously worked with the Chairman of Russian Red Cross on the governing board of the International Federation — he is always well informed and has a strategic understanding of our tasks. Russian Red Cross has good relations with the government, is transparent with donors, and, most importantly, provides high-quality assistance to people. This is highly appreciated by both partners and the people themselves.
Russian Red Cross has undergone significant changes over the past few years, while simultaneously evolving as the largest humanitarian organization in this country and the national network of humanitarian specialists and volunteers, as well as an important part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The recently passed federal law strengthened the positions of Russian Red Cross in the country as a recognized neutral, independent and impartial public humanitarian agency, performing an auxiliary role to the state, which is a standard that the IFRC maintains among all its members.
To address the challenges of the current highly polarized and polycrisis environment, the RRC accelerated the integration of the Movement’s fundamental principles in the work of the entire organization, regional and local branches. The RRC has demonstrated impressive results in the development of its emergency response capacity. With the IFRC’s support, the RRC’s highly-motivated team of staff and volunteers evolved into professional subdivisions of humanitarian response ready to give help across such a vast country, whether it be a flood or a wildfire.
The IFRC will continue to provide the unwavering support to the RRC in further strengthening its capacity, promoting humanitarian principles and enhancing its role within the Movement and across the country.
— Russia has recently passed a separate law on the Russian Red Cross. Is this a precedent in the world? Do other National Societies have such legal protection?
— I’m very pleased that this law has been passed. We're working to promote it in all countries. It's especially gratifying that the law lists the fundamental principles of the Red Cross movement. This provides a solid foundation for Russian Red Cross to expand its assistance to people, develop its activities domestically and internationally, and respond quickly to emergencies.
— What would you say to Russian volunteers who are currently providing and ready to provide assistance?
— I myself have been a volunteer for 45 years and want to thank all the employees and volunteers of Russian Red Cross for their work. All Red Cross volunteers in Russia are part of a 17-million strong army of volunteers worldwide. They are the heart of our work: neighbors help neighbors giving their time and energy to help those in need. I personally saw them in action during my visit at the educational center, Moscow city branch and regional offices. And I want to invite other Russian citizens who haven't yet become volunteers to join Russian Red Cross because they’ll enjoy it and gain satisfaction from their work. So thank you so much for all you do.
