Red Cross Says It Has 'Urgent Concerns' Over Visits With Russian, Ukrainian POWs

ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric (file photo)

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it has "urgent humanitarian concerns" over visits to Russian and Ukrainian prisoners of war. The ICRC said on January 18 that its president, Mirjana Spoljaric, will travel this week to Moscow to discuss the topic following a two-day visit to Ukraine last month. The ICRC said it "has been visiting prisoners of war on both sides, but is urgently seeking full, unimpeded, and regular access to all, wherever they are held." It added that it "stands ready" to play a neutral intermediary role for prisoner swaps or any other humanitarian initiatives.