Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak took part in a thematic conference dedicated to the eighth point of the Peace Formula, Environmental Security. The event in Helsinki was attended online and offline by representatives of 60 countries and organizations. The conference was hosted by Finland as the co-chair of the working group on this point. The Ukrainian side was also represented by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Svitlana Grynchuk, Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin and Adviser to the Head of the Presidential Office Oleksandr Bevz.
Andriy Yermak stressed that Russian aggression has caused irreparable damage to Ukraine's environment: mined soil, contaminated groundwater, the destruction of a third of Ukraine's forests, damaged nature reserves and a hydroelectric dam.
“Because of the war, Ukraine is now one of the most mined countries in the world. The total area of mine-affected territories is twice the size of Austria. This harms the civilian population and threatens global food security, as Ukraine is a key food producer,” the Head of the Presidential Office stressed.
He called on the conference participants to work together to overcome the challenges and develop mechanisms of responsibility for environmental damage.
“We need to make environmental protection a key part of security policy. We need to develop effective plans for responding to environmental risks. Protecting ecosystems should be one of the key components in achieving a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace,” Andriy Yermak concluded.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal noted that Russia's war against Ukraine has caused massive environmental destruction. This has led to unprecedented pollution, destruction of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity.
“The environmental crimes committed by Russia are causing long-term damage to our country. It will take decades, if not longer, to recover. The current damage to Ukraine's ecosystem is estimated at $65 billion,” the Prime Minister emphasized.
Prime Minister of Finland Petteri Orpo assured that his country unwaveringly supports Ukraine, in particular by participating in various working groups and coalitions. He also condemned the fact that Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, is violating its obligations to maintain international peace and security.
“Russia's aggressive war had tragic consequences far beyond Ukraine and Europe, especially for global food and energy security. It caused devastating damage to the environment. We know this thanks to the report of the High-Level Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War,” he said.
Petteri Orpo supported the efforts to jointly develop mechanisms and thanked the conference participants for coming together for the sake of Ukraine's security and freedom.
Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Svitlana Grynchuk noted that environmental security affects every aspect of our lives and economy.
“We see this environmental security within the Peace Formula as a way to unite efforts for a green transition and green recovery. Together we need to start formulating green principles on how to restore the Ukrainian economy, Ukrainian infrastructure,” she said.
Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin noted that Ukraine has opened 222 criminal cases on environmental damage, including thousands of environmental war crimes, in particular 14 cases of ecocide committed by Russia.
“It is imperative that we fully recognize crimes against the environment and bring Russia – both the state and the Russian invaders – to justice for destroying and polluting our common heritage, soil, water and air,” he said.
According to Andriy Kostin, the priority cases for the Prosecutor General's Office in the field of the environment include investigations into the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam and the threats to the Zaporizhzhia NPP.
Minister of Climate and the Environment of Finland Kai Mykkänen stressed that compensation for the damage caused by Russia to Ukraine's ecology should become a matter of global justice.
“We have been working to get international recognition of war crimes in ecology to make Russia responsible for restoring the ecological system. Now we have to work on this together,” said Kai Mykkänen.
In addition, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria sent a video message to the participants; representatives of the German and Bulgarian governments, which co-chair the Environmental Security Working Group along with Finland, and government officials from several dozen countries from different regions of the world, also addressed the audience.
Co-chair of the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War Margot Wallström and member of the group Heidi Hautala also spoke at the conference. They emphasized the need to implement the Environmental Compact for Ukraine, which was finalized in February 2024. The Group will continue its work to assist the Ukrainian Government in implementing the key recommendations of the Environmental Compact.
This conference is the sixth in a series of follow-up conferences to the first Peace Summit. Each of these events results in a Joint Communiqué. After the conferences, proposals for the second Peace Summit will be formulated based on all ten points of the Peace Formula.
The text of the Joint Communiqué adopted by this conference is available below.