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How may one offer humanitarian aid to a state far more powerful than one’s own? How may one accept humanitarian aid from a state far less powerful than one’s own? These are the main questions this article intends to explore by examining the perception of the humanitarian aid provided by Switzerland to (Soviet) Russia before, during and after Perestroika. The analysis of these periods shows that there were different ways of envisioning humanitarian aid, inspired by ideology, pragmatism or Realpolitik. Accordingly, the different perceptions correspond to different types of reception that may be used in order to show one’s political camp, face severe disasters, or show goodwill vis-à-vis the international community. Above all, however, the case study shows that to receive is often humiliating and that giving is mostly self-interested.