Greta Thunberg met Zelensky in Kyiv. They launched a new initiative

Greta Thunberg visited Kyiv, where she met with President Volodymyr Zelensky at a meeting devoted to the degradation of the Ukrainian natural environment as a result of the war. The climate activist was critical of the reaction of world leaders to the blowing up of the dam in Nova Kakhovka.

The reason why Thunberg appeared in Kyiv was the inauguration of the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War. The task of the group will be to define and influence the ecological system of Ukraine by Russian aggression.

— Thank you for being in Kyiv now. This is an extremely important signal of support for Ukraine. We really need your professional help, said Volodymyr Zelensky at the meeting.

Greta Thunberg criticizes world leaders

One of the topics of the meeting was the effects of blowing up the Nova Kakhovka dam by the Russians, as a result of which huge tracts of land in the Kherson region were flooded. The destruction of the structure had catastrophic consequences both for the people living in nearby towns and for the natural environment and agriculture. Speaking about Nova Kakhovka, Zelensky emphasized that people who require help still live in the flooded areas, he also added that Russia should be held responsible for committing ecocide.

The dam issue was also addressed by Greta Thunberg, who criticized the reaction of world leaders to the events in the Kherson region. “The world has not responded adequately to this crime of ecocide. We need to speak louder about its effects and what is currently happening in Ukraine, she said. The activist added that she would make every effort to engage representatives of global environmental organizations in dialogue with the newly established group.

According to estimates, the blowing up of the Nova Kakhovka Dam generated losses of up to EUR 1.2 billion. However, it is difficult to assess exactly what its long-term effects will be.