For one month, the Ukrainian Red Cross and Secretary General Maksym Dotsenko have been working day and night to help civilians in the wake of Russia’s massive invasion.

It seems that most Ukrainians ignore these humanitarian aid organizations.

– There were times when we couldn’t wear the uniform because it was too dangerous. Donors asked for their money back, and our offices were targeted by firebombs, Dotsenko told Dagbladet.

Cause? The most important principle of the Red Cross: Neutrality.

Because when the Ukrainian Red Cross evacuated civilians fleeing Vladimir Putin’s brutal war machine, the top management of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) met with the Putin regime in Moscow for negotiations.

– Most people don’t care whether you represent the ICRC, the Norwegian Red Cross or Ukraine. Different organizations have the same face, but we also have the same principles: We do not take sides in conflicts, Dotsenko said.

In the meeting

Dagbladet was the only Norwegian media that followed the Ukrainian Secretary General through the morning and evening rush in Oslo:

In the morning, Dotsenko held a meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap), before they both attended a press conference at the Red Cross building in central Oslo.

There, Støre, who is the former secretary general of the Norwegian Red Cross, announced that the government would give NOK 350 million to the Ukrainian Red Cross this year.

Dotsenko and his immediate staff then took a tram to the Palace, where the Secretary General of Ukraine received an audience with Crown Prince Haakon.

The delegation then returned to the Red Cross site, where a new series of meetings – and interviews with Dagbladet – awaited.

Opposite from above

As Secretary General of the Ukrainian Red Cross, Dotsenko will not take sides in a war that has devastated parts of his country. As a Ukrainian, he struggles not to do that.

– We are also part of society. Our family experienced the same challenges. We all know someone who fought on the front lines, and we all know someone who was killed. But in carrying out our duties, we must be neutral, said Dotsenko.

He understands that this is not easy to understand, even for the Ukrainian authorities. After the ICRC meeting in Moscow at the end of March last year, this became clear.

Major attack on Odessa

– Before this meeting, we were seen as a superpower in the humanitarian field, and had a number of privileges. After the meeting, we experienced a number of problems. Some local governments denied us access to various areas, and it was difficult to get through military checkpoints, Dotsenko said.

The solution came slowly but surely.

– In practice, we only repeat the principles on which the Red Cross was founded. Day by day we managed to create a little better understanding among the Ukrainian authorities and Ukrainian society of what we were doing, Dotsenko said.

The reason the ICRC was in Moscow last March was precisely to secure access to Russian occupied territory. They didn’t succeed in that.

Personal drama

Another challenge the Secretary General experienced in the early days after the Russian invasion was the separation between personal and work life.

Because even though Dotsenko has to carry out the most demanding mission the Red Cross has ever undertaken, he has family members in areas targeted by Putin’s war machine.

– We humans are quite good at adapting, but this really makes an impression on you. While you worry about the volunteers doing critical work in the field, you also worry about your own family. “It was a lot easier when my parents got to a safe place,” Dotsenko said.

The Secretary General was born and raised in the small town of Okhtyrka in the Sumy region, located in northeastern Ukraine. This was one of the first areas Russia invaded.

– Is there any limit to support

– Although the Russians never occupied Okhtyrka, the city was subjected to heavy fighting and numerous air raids. “My parents lived there for some time, but around March 10, we decided to move them out,” he said.

But his in-laws remained at home, because Dotsenko’s wife also came from Okhtyrka.

– So it has become a little easier for me, but for my wife it is still very difficult, he said.

Jonas Gahr Støre told Dagbladet the following about the meeting with the Secretary General of Ukraine:

– Impressed to hear the story. I’m afraid the Norwegian Red Cross may continue to provide support.

This is where the money goes

Although NOK 350 million is a large amount, it is not enough to meet the enormous humanitarian needs in Ukraine, said the Secretary General of Ukraine.

– We will never have “enough”, says Dotsenko.

Therefore, for the Ukrainian Red Cross, the task is to select areas where the need is most critical and the impact of its support is greatest. Specifically, Dotsenko envisions that the prize money from Norway could be used for three purposes:

• Strengthen existing search and rescue teams.
• Strengthen support schemes for people who open their homes to internally displaced persons.
• Education and continuing education of health workers with a special focus on rehabilitation.

In the same room as the enemy

The Secretary General of Ukraine especially appreciated that the prize money from Norway was not specifically earmarked.

– Immediately after the invasion, we received large amounts of monetary donations from individuals and companies. “This gives us the flexibility to use those funds so our volunteers can really make a difference,” Dotsenko said.

Now the authorities and state agencies are behind the largest contributions. These contributions have largely been allocated.

– This gives us less flexibility, and to be effective on the field, you have to be flexible. Luckily, the Norwegian Red Cross was very flexible, they understood us and were eager to help, Dotsenko said.