Greta Thunberg came to Kyiv and met with President Zelenskyy

Famous environmental activist Greta Thunberg came to Kyiv and met with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of her participation in an international group that will assess the environmental impact of hostilities, in particular the consequences of the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant by the Russian occupiers.

Source. This was reported by the press service of the head of state.

As part of the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War, Kyiv was also visited by: Margot Wallström, former Deputy Prime Minister and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Heidi Gautala, Vice President of the European Parliament, and Mary Robinson, President of Ireland in 1990-1997.

Greta Thunberg thanked for the invitation to the group and promised to engage representatives of environmental NGOs in a dialogue to draw attention to the environmental consequences of military action.

Zelenskyy drew the interlocutors' attention to the catastrophic consequences of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam explosion that residents of Kherson region faced. This Russian crime also caused significant damage to the agricultural sector and biodiversity of the region.

The President noted the importance of the initiatives of the International Working Group on Environmental Crimes of Russia and emphasized that the aggressor should be held fairly accountable 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.

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 Gautala 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."

Background. On June 15, Greta Thunberg joined the Ukrainians who held a rally at the UN office in Bonn, Germany, to protest the Russian attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.

She also laughed when asked how she assessed the work of the UN after the Kakhovka dam was blown up.