Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskymet members of the International Working Group on the Effects of War on the Environment in Kiev this Thursday, including the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.

According to a statement from the presidential office, Zelensky asked the working group to study a wide range of issues related to the impact of the Russian invasion on Ukraine’s ecosystems, including the consequences of blowing up the Kakhovka dam.

The ensuing flood not only killed many people in the southern region of Kherson, but also has caused significant damage to the agricultural sector and biodiversity in the region, noted the president.

Zelensky thanked and noted the support and initiatives of the International Working Group the aggressor country must be held responsible for the crime of “ecocide” in Ukraine.

Thunberg, who appears in a family photo with Zelenski along with the other members of the delegation, said she will try to involve representatives of environmental organizations in the dialogue about the Group’s main tasks, according to the statement.

Volodimir Zelensky visits area flooded by the destruction of a dam in Ukraine

In addition, he promised to draw attention to the environmental consequences of the war.

The group’s co-founder and former foreign minister Margot Wallström of Sweden pointed out the importance of documenting the damage to the environment in Ukraine as a result of the war and developing plans for its recovery, as well as for the transition to a “green” economy.

The meeting was also attended by European Parliament Vice-President Heidi Gautala, who pointed out that the crimes against the environment committed by Russia constitute “clear ecocide” under Ukrainian law and added that responsibility should be settled by justice on the national and international level. .