President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with members of the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War: former Deputy Prime Minister and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Margot Wallström, Vice-President of the European Parliament Heidi Hautala, President of Ireland in 1990-1997 Mary Robinson and environmental activist Greta Thunberg.
The meeting was also attended by Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Rostyslav Shurma, and Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office Daria Zarivna.
"Thank you for being here today. This is an extremely important signal of support for Ukraine. We really need your professional assistance," the Head of State said.
The President thanked the representatives of the global environmental community for the active dialogue during a video conference held on June 8 as part of his visit to Kryvyi Rih. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the International Working Group had to address a wide range of issues related to the impact of Russian aggression on Ukraine's environmental system.
The Head of State drew attention to the catastrophic consequences of the blowing up of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam faced by the residents of Kherson region. 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 the settlements occupied by Russian troops, where Russians did not evacuate the flooded areas at all.
"It is important to propose a set of concrete measures to help Ukrainians from the temporarily occupied settlements. These are our people who must receive the necessary support in such a difficult moment," 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 must be brought to justice for the crime of ecocide in our country.
For her part, the co-chair of the International Working Group, Margot Wallström, emphasized solidarity and assistance to Ukraine in this difficult time of 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 environmental damage caused by Russian aggression, bringing Russia to justice for its environmental crimes and compensating for the damage, as well as developing plans for environmental restoration in Ukraine and transition to a green economy.
Environmental activist Greta Thunberg thanked for the invitation and emphasized that she would engage representatives of environmental NGOs in a dialogue on the main tasks of the International Working Group and draw attention to the environmental consequences of the war.
Mary Robinson, President of Ireland in 1990-1997, noted the great efforts made by Ukraine to overcome environmental problems during the war.
Vice-President of the European Parliament Heidi Hautala said: "Russia's invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated the gravity of crimes against the environment throughout the war; in Ukrainian law, this is clearly ecocide. The issue of responsibility for these crimes must be addressed both at the national and international level."