A third of Ukraine's forests and 20% of Ukraine's protected areas have already suffered from the war. The damage is estimated at $65 billion.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reported that Russia's war against Ukraine has resulted in large-scale environmental destruction, which has led to unprecedented pollution of the environment.
He said this during the Conference to discuss point 8 “Environmental Security” of the Peace Formula of the President of Ukraine.
The event took place in Helsinki with the participation of Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Vice-President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, as well as officials from other countries.
The current damage to Ukrainian ecosystems is estimated at $65 billion. A third of Ukrainian forests and 20% of Ukraine's protected areas have already been damaged by the war. 35% of Europe's biodiversity, which Ukraine owns, is at risk.
Russia has caused environmental damage to Ukraine worth over UAH 2.6 trillion
“We all face the most important task of developing a common vision of how to protect nature and human life. Ukraine is ready to develop a common vision and concrete steps along this path, applying the principle of “the enemy must pay,” Shmyhal said. /p>
- tracking, recording and reporting on all environmental consequences, impacts, losses and damages of the Russian aggressor's war in Ukraine;
- collecting valuable high-level feedback and technical comments from Ukraine's partners;< /li>
- developing the next joint steps to hold the Russian aggressor accountable for all environmental crimes committed against Ukraine.
Shmyhal emphasized that environmental security is a prerequisite for economic and social development. Therefore, we need to find solutions and resources on how best to protect and restore our nature and ecology.
For his part, the head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak added that due to the war, Ukraine has become one of the most mined countries in the world – the area of affected territories is twice the size of Austria. This poses a threat not only to our citizens, but also to global food security, because Ukraine is an important player in the global food market.
Yermak called on the international community to actively cooperate to overcome these challenges and develop liability mechanisms for damage to the environment. Nature protection should become a key part of security policy. It is necessary to work on effective plans to respond to environmental threats. Environmental security should be an integral part of a fair and sustainable world.