“To date, 174,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory have been covered by mines and other unexploded ordnance,” Mr Zelensky told the New Zealand parliament via video link.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again today asked the international community to help his country in removing mines and neutralizing other explosive devices and residual war material, which he said have “overwhelmed” an area equal to the entire territory of Cambodia or of Uruguay.
“To date, 174,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory have been covered by mines and other unexploded ordnance,” Mr Zelensky told the New Zealand parliament via video link.
“There is no real peace when every child is at risk of being killed by a Russian hidden anti-personnel mine,” he insisted, calling on New Zealand, whose military has extensive experience in the matter, to take the lead in clearing minefields, disarming explosive devices and in dealing with the environmental effects of the war, which is about to close ten months.
According to Mr Zelensky, the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov have also been inundated with sea mines, which have claimed the lives of “hundreds of thousands of lives”. He accused Moscow of “ecocide”, a neologism used to describe the destruction of the environment due to the armed conflict.
“I hear your calls for more support, particularly for the long-term consequences of war, especially on the environment,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern responded, adding “we are with you in the search for peace, we will also be with you in rebuilding.”
New Zealand has sent around a hundred of its military personnel to Europe to train Ukrainian soldiers. Today he pledged an additional US$2 million in humanitarian aid to help Ukrainians get through the winter.
RES-EMP
Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
