Greta Thunberg, European politicians discuss environmental impacts of Russia's war on Ukraine in Kyiv

The head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, who is a co-chair of the Working Group, announced this on Telegram. 

The meeting was attended by former Deputy Prime Minister and former Swedish Foreign Minister 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 Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Rostyslav Shurma, and Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office Daria Zarivna.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the International Working Group should address a wide range of issues related to the impact of Russian aggression on Ukraine's ecological system.

“The Head of State drew attention to the catastrophic consequences of the blowing up of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam, which the residents of Kherson region faced. This Russian crime has also caused significant damage to the agricultural sector and biodiversity of the region,” the statement says. 

The President also noted the importance of the initiatives of the representatives of the International Working Group on Russia's environmental crimes and emphasized that the aggressor must be held fairly accountable for the crime of ecocide in our country.

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, the assessment of the damage caused by Russia.

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 noted that the Russian invasion of Ukraine demonstrated the severity of crimes against the environment throughout the war, and in Ukrainian law it is clearly ecocide. The issue of responsibility for these crimes should be addressed both at the national and international levels.

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• On June 8, Greta Thunberg took part in a dialogue between the President of Ukraine and representatives of the global environmental community, during which she commented on the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. She called it ecocide, which is a continuation of Russia's unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And Russia must be held accountable for its crimes.

• On June 15, Greta Thunberg took part in a Ukrainian rally at the UN office in Bonn and expressed support for Ukrainians amid the tragedy of the destruction of the Kakhovka dam by Russians.