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Exclusive interview of the Kate Forbes, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, to Interfax-Ukraine News Agency

Text: Valerie Proschenko

Throughout 2022-2024, seventeen National Societies across Ukraine's neighbouring countries, including the Baltics, Central and Southeastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and Türkiye have addressed the needs of people displaced from Ukraine under the IFRC Ukraine and Impacted Countries Emergency Appeal. In response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

National Societies receiving financial and technical support in Europe, National Societies are actively working to maintain and enhance the effectiveness of their response activities. The IFRC and its Membership are committed to support these efforts by providing funding and technical expertise to enhance the capacity of National Societies involved.

As the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale aggression approaches, Kate Forbes paid a working visit to Ukraine to assess the urgent needs of country and identify the priority areas of support that the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies can offer.

Almost three years ago Russia started its full-scale war. What is your mission here? Or is it just a visit of solidarity?

The war in Ukraine has had an impact globally. Unfortunately, the third anniversary is coming up. I actually was involved, and we had an oversight committee when I was a board member, and I'd seen from the outside of Ukraine. I went to Romania and Moldova and saw displaced refugees coming, and was working on that.

When I became president, it became very important for me to come to Ukraine for a couple of reasons. One, I wanted to thank the