Global Courant
Climate firebrand Greta Thunberg was the latest of several prominent world figures to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week amid his country’s ongoing war with Russia.
Thunberg traveled to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, on Thursday for the first meeting of the International Working Group on the Effects of War on the Environment.
Thunberg was joined by other members of the working group, including co-chair Andriy Yermak and Vice-President of the European Parliament Heidi Hautala, in addition to a group of Ukrainian environmental activists.
“Ecocide, the destruction of the environment, is a form of warfare,” Thunberg noted at the meeting. “Unfortunately, the Ukrainians now understand this very well. Russia is deliberately directing its actions against the environment, against people’s livelihoods.”
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“I think we need to connect the dots: the danger, the threat of war, human suffering and ecocide are all connected,” the Swedish activist added. “None of us should ignore the terrible things that are happening in Ukraine, the crimes that Russia is committing here.”
After the meeting, Zelenskyy released a video message saying that the working group mainly discussed Russia’s alleged attack and “ecocide” on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station. Earlier this month, Ukrainian officials blamed Russia for the dam’s destruction, displacing hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and disrupting power supplies.
In addition, Zelenskyy said the working group will continue to address issues arising from the “destructive impact of Russian aggression on nature”.
A release from the president’s office Thursday emphasized that the group will further develop recommendations “for finding mechanisms to bring the aggressor to justice for environmental crimes so that Russia will pay in full for the destruction it has caused” and will focus on environmental restoration efforts.
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“I really hope we can collect assessments of what is happening from central and local authorities and environmental organizations to assess the environmental damage Ukraine is experiencing,” Thunberg added.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg attends a press conference in Kiev, Ukraine, on Thursday. (Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
“We must hold Russia accountable for its crimes, and those who have been harmed must be able to recover, just as Ukraine must be able to recover in a sustainable way.”
Yermak, co-chair of the working group and head of the office of the president of Ukraine, said the group will also prepare an environmental treaty for Ukraine to create conditions for environmental protection.
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The activists concluded by calling for ecocide to be made a crime, Russia to make environmental reparations and for swift government responses to ecocrimes.
“Ukraine is in the center of attention, but we are also doing this to show the world that such environmental destruction and the terrible consequences of conflicts and wars cannot go unpunished. There must be accountability,” said Hautala .
Thomas Catenacci is a political writer for Fox News Digital.
