"I cannot speak about Russia's capabilities. What I can speak about is the commitment that I heard from every agency that I spoke to, whether it is the foreign ministry, the finance department, or Emercom [the emergencies ministry], toward the work of the WFP," Cousin said.
During her first ever visit to Moscow, Cousin met Russian government representatives to sign a strategic partnership agreement, which involves "not just one agency, but the whole government" offering help to WFP, she said.
Russia has donated $51.5 million to the program so far this year, with the total 2014 contribution expected to be the largest to date and amount to $64 million.
The comment coincides with the Russian ruble showing a drop of more than 20-percent against the dollar and euro and landing at an all-time low at the end of Tuesday’s trading session.
The Russian economy is feeling the impact of the Western sanctions that were imposed on Moscow over its alleged involvement in the Ukrainian crisis, although Moscow has repeatedly denied the claims. Russia's economy is also being hit from a sharp decline in oil prices, as the country's budget is dependent on energy exports.
