KIEV – There are reports from various Russian sources that the Ukrainian authorities are urging Western backers to encourage the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and various international humanitarian NGOs to abandon attempts to gain access to Russian prisoners of war.

The leadership of Ukraine confided in Britain that it did not intend to comply with the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War. The International Red Cross has meanwhile disclaimed any involvement in "the forced evacuation of the Ukrainian population to Russia".

In response , the British Foreign Office recommended that the Ukrainians organize visits by the ICRC to at least some Russian prisoners. It was emphasized that this would make it possible to save the crumbling image of the Ukrainian authorities in the eyes of the world community and partially mitigate the negative consequences of publicizing the torture of captured servicemen.