The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, held a meeting with members of the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of the War, including the famous environmental activist Greta Thunberg.
This was reported by the press service of the President's Office. The international working group also included ex-Vice Prime Minister and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Margot Wallström, Vice-President of the European Parliament Heidi Gautala, President of Ireland in 1990-1997 Mary Robinson.
The meeting was also attended by: Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, Deputy Head of the Office of the Head of State Rostyslav Shurma, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President Daria Zarivna.
"Thank you for being here now. This is an extremely important signal of support for Ukraine. We really need your professional help," said the Ukrainian leader.
Zelensky noted that the International Working Group should study a wide range of issues related to the impact of Russian aggression on the ecological system of Ukraine.
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The head of state drew the interlocutors' attention to the catastrophic consequences of the explosion of the Kakhovskaya HPP dam, which the residents of the Kherson region faced. This Russian crime also caused significant damage to the agricultural sector and biodiversity of the region.
The President noted that as a result of the disaster, many people died in settlements occupied by Russian troops, where the Russians did not evacuate from flooded areas at all.
"It is important to propose a set of specific measures to help Ukrainians from temporarily occupied settlements. These are our people who should receive the necessary support at such a difficult time," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
The head of state noted the importance of the initiatives of the representatives of the International Working Group on Environmental Crimes of Russia and emphasized that the aggressor should bear fair responsibility for the crime of ecocide in our country.
The Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Ruslan Strelets, spoke about the damage caused by the Russian Federation to the Ukrainian environment. According to him, Ukraine potentially lost 80,000 hectares of protected areas due to the explosion of the Kakhovskaya HPP dam.
To help Ukraine assess all the damage caused, the UNEP mission is already working in Ukraine. Experts will also prepare recommendations for the restoration of nature conservation areas affected by flooding. After all, among the primary tasks today is to work out the best way to preserve and restore the ecosystems affected by the war
"Today there is a war in Ukraine. We have new challenges. One of them is the recording and calculation of environmental damages. The second is to hold Russia accountable and make the occupier pay the bill," the minister said.
For her part, the co-chair of the International Working Group, Margot Wallström, emphasized solidarity and assistance to Ukraine during the difficult time of the war. According to her, it is important to ensure the widest possible global support for the main activities of the International Working Group. In particular, it is about assessing the damage caused to the environment as a result of Russian aggression, holding Russia accountable for committed environmental crimes and compensation for damages, as well as developing plans to restore the environment in Ukraine and transition to a green economy.
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Eco-activist Greta Thunberg thanked for the invitation and emphasized that she will involve representatives of environmental public organizations in the dialogue regarding the main tasks of the International Working Group and drawing attention to the environmental consequences of the war.
The President of Ireland in 1990–1997, Mary Robinson, noted the great efforts made by Ukraine to overcome environmental problems during the war.
Vice-President of the European Parliament Heidi Gautala noted: "Russia's invasion of Ukraine demonstrated the severity of crimes against the environment throughout the war; in Ukrainian legislation, this is clearly ecocide. The issue of responsibility for these crimes must be resolved both at the national and international levels."
As EcoPolitic reported earlier, previously the Swedish eco-activist Thunberg called the blowing up of the Kakhovskaya HPP an ecocide. In her opinion, Russia should bear responsibility for its crimes.
