This was stated by Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal at a conference discussing the eighth point of Ukraine's "peace formula" — "Environmental Security."
According to him, one-third of Ukraine's forests and 20% of its protected natural areas have already been affected by the war, putting 35% of Europe's biodiversity, which Ukraine holds, at risk.
The official emphasized that the main task now is to develop a shared vision for how to protect nature and people's lives. Shmyhal also outlined key objectives for the overall strategy:
"Environmental security is a prerequisite for economic and social development. Therefore, we must find solutions and resources to best protect and restore our nature and ecology," Shmyhal emphasized.