Europe

EU demands that Russia be held criminally responsible for environmental harm in Ukraine

In a statement posted on the Committee’s website on May 5, the European Economic and Social Committee urged the European Union to hold Russia accountable for the crime of ecocide committed during the invasion of Ukraine.

The Committee urged the bloc to examine and document the environmental effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at its April plenary to support an environmentally just post-war recovery.

“The European Economic and Social Committee, together with the European Parliament, calls for the recognition of ecocide as a criminal offence under EU law,” the statement reads.

“The EESC believes that this would help hold Russia accountable for its actions in Ukraine and prevent similar environmental disasters from happening in the future.”

The EU committee claims that because of Russian aggression, significant tracts of wood have been destroyed, and there has also been pollution of the air and water. Additionally, it mentions that 35% of Europe’s biodiversity is found in Ukraine.

Photo by lev Radin

Ihor Petrenko

I'm a passionate journalist based in Ukraine, specialising in covering local news and events from Ukraine for the Western audience. Also, I work as a fixer for foreign media. Whether I write an article, report from the conflict zone or conduct interviews with political leaders and experts, I'm focused on delivering informative, engaging, and thought-generating content.

Recent Posts

“I Dream of Making Luhansk Ukrainian Again”: How Volodymyr Zhemchuhov Debunks Propaganda About Donbas

Volodymyr Zhemchuhov was born 80 kilometres from the Russian border, speaks Russian as his mother…

6 days ago

Ukraine Ammunition Coalition Shrinks as Nine Countries Pull Funding

The Czech-led initiative that has supplied Ukraine with more than four million large-calibre artillery shells…

1 week ago

UK Targets Russian Crypto Networks and Shadow Finance in New Sanctions Push

The UK has announced a new package of sanctions targeting cryptocurrency exchanges and illicit financial…

1 week ago

‘Smoke Screen’: Latvia Rejects Russia’s Claim of Rights Violations Against Ethnic Russians

Latvia's foreign ministry has dismissed Moscow's threat to take the Baltic states to the International…

1 week ago

Paris Opens National Probe Into Foreign Smear Campaign Against Left-Wing Candidates

Paris prosecutors have launched an independent investigation into an alleged foreign influence operation that targeted…

1 week ago

Iceland Heads Into EU Referendum Under Threat of Foreign Interference and AI Manipulation

Iceland's foreign minister has warned that the country's August referendum on resuming EU accession talks…

1 week ago