MOSCOW, August 11 (RIA Novosti) - Canada expressed concerns about Russia’s proposal to deploy an international humanitarian mission with Russian humanitarian aid in eastern Ukraine under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross, according to Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird’s statement.
“Canada is deeply concerned by reports of Russian military exercises for ‘humanitarian intervention’ in a third country, following Moscow’s proposal to send Russian ‘peacekeepers to Ukraine’,” the statement said.
It was noted in the statement that “Canada will continue to work closely with its allies and partners and will take further action if Russia continues down this reckless and irresponsible path.”
The statement also said that, should Russia be willing to provide humanitarian aid, “it can support the work of legitimate humanitarian organizations, such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross.”
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that Russia should be able to deliver humanitarian assistance to Ukraine only with Kiev’s consent. Earlier, the United States and the UK said that any humanitarian mission deployed by Russia in Ukraine would be “unjustified and illegal.”
Last week, Russia offered at the UN Security Council to deploy an international humanitarian mission with Russian humanitarian aid under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross in eastern Ukraine. The committee welcomed the proposal.
