Enlarge image
Destroyed gasoline depot in Kalynivka, Ukraine, hit by Russian missiles in October 2022
Photo: Andrew Kravchenko / AP
SPIEGEL:
This week in Nairobi at the United Nations Environment Assembly
discussed plastic waste, recycling, clean water and the climate crisis.
As a Ukrainian negotiator, you introduced a resolution that deals with environmental damage caused by wars.
Why?
Karandas:
We are suffering heavily from the ecological consequences of the war; it has been going on for several years now and is destroying our environment.
Nature is also a victim of war.
Infrastructure can be rebuilt, but restoring an ecosystem is extremely difficult.
The environmental damage has a serious impact on people's lives.
We want to preserve Ukraine's unique ecosystem for future generations.
This isn't about politics; we wanted to keep that out of it as much as possible.
Armed conflicts do not only occur in Ukraine.
The consequences are serious everywhere.
And our goal is to alleviate it worldwide.
SPIEGEL:
What environmental damage did the war cause in Ukraine?
Karandas:
Our rivers are polluted, our forests burned.
Civilian infrastructure was destroyed, which also led to environmental damage.
The most famous example is the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam.
The Russians simply blew it up.
The impact was significant: biodiversity was lost due to flooding and oil pollution.
We also see in the Black Sea, where warships cruise, dolphins are dying and entire species could become extinct because mines and sonar devices are being used to a considerable extent.
It is important to measure this damage.
Only then can we understand how to respond and rebuild the nation.
This is a huge challenge.
SPIEGEL:
You are here in Nairobi as a career diplomat, conducting negotiations for Ukraine.
We are speaking on the green grounds of the UN environmental program; the war seems far away.
How do you deal with that?
Karandas:
My family lives in Ukraine.
My friends, my closest confidants are there.
I come from central Ukraine, where there is beautiful and diverse nature.
It's a tragedy for me personally to see what's happening to her.
And I can only imagine what it looks like in other parts of Ukraine, which are even more severely affected.
That motivates me to work extra hard here.
SPIEGEL:
Is it even possible to repair such environmental damage?
Karandas:
We are already trying to identify the risks at an early stage and protect the environment.
The UN environmental program is advising us on this.
They take samples and try to figure out how bad it really is.
We ask our partners to support us even more.
The resolution that we passed here after tough negotiations is intended to create a better framework for this.
SPIEGEL:
How is that supposed to work?
Karandas:
For decades, the UN Environmental Program has been helping countries restore nature after wars - sometimes very successfully, sometimes less so.
We want to make the support more efficient.
The previous programs should be examined closely.
And we ask the Member States to make additional funds available.
Because without good financing, the best initiatives are of no use.
SPIEGEL:
Who should ultimately pay for the environmental damage?
Karandas:
We believe that reparation for the crimes committed must come from the perpetrator.
This is one of the principles of international law.
But the purpose of our resolution is not to establish financial responsibility.
This is a political question and it is being discussed at the UN in New York.
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