The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is ready to expand its activities in Ukraine in order to address the dire humanitarian situation in the occupied territories of Donbas.

The prospects of further cooperation were discussed at a meeting between Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer, the Ukrainian president's press service has reported.

"Peter Maurer said that the ICRC was ready to significantly increase the number of trucks with humanitarian cargo. According to him, the ICRC's activity in Ukraine is among five largest and top-priority operations of the Committee in the world. In 2015, the ICRC’s budget in Ukraine will total $84.5 million," the presidential press service reported.

Poroshenko said that Ukraine appreciated the ICRC's readiness to assist those in occupied areas.

He said that Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Hennadiy Zubko at a recent meeting with the ICRC mission discussed the need to speed up the procedures on the passage of Red Cross humanitarian supplies.

"The president has called on the ICRC to use all opportunities to increase the volume of the international humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine that find themselves in a difficult situation due to Russian aggression," the press service said.