NATO-Ukraine Commission meet to discuss destruction of Kakhovka dam

Europe, News June 10, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hosted a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission on June 8, 2023, to discuss the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, Ukraine.

The NATO secretary general convened Allied ambassadors and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba during the meeting as participants examined the threats caused by the floods and shortage of drinking water supply.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba, who participated virtually, briefed NATO Allies on the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam and outlined the devastation it has caused.

According to the NATO statement, Stoltenberg highlighted the consequences of the collapse of the dam for thousands of people and for the environment and urged the Allies to provide urgent support. The statement added that “NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre, the Alliance’s civil emergency response mechanism, has shared a detailed list of Ukraine’s most urgent needs with NATO Allies and partners.”

NATO Allies expressed strong solidarity with Ukraine, and several countries are already “providing critical aid, including water filters, pumps, generators, and shelter equipment.”

The NATO Secretary General stressed the importance of immediate, medium, and long-term support to Ukraine, saying that this will be a key topic for next week’s meetings of NATO Defence Ministers and the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, as well as the Vilnius Summit in July.

A day earlier Stoltenberg said during an interview that “NATO’s door remains open and that it is only for Allies and Ukraine to make decisions on membership.” The NATO secretary general added that “the most important thing now is to ensure that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign and independent state.”

*^{A local resident makes her way through a flooded road after the walls of the Kakhovka dam collapsed overnight, in Kherson, Ukraine, on June 6, 2023. (Image Credit: AP/Evgeniy Maloletka)}*

The NATO-Ukraine Commission is the decision-making body for developing the relationship between NATO members and Ukraine and directing cooperative activities. The Commission also provides a forum for consultation on critical issues, including the Russia-Ukraine war. All NATO member states and Ukraine ambassadors and military officials meet regularly to discuss political and security issues.

On June 6, the Kakhovka dam’s wall collapsed and triggered floods affecting at least tens of thousands of people living in about 80 towns and villages. About 22,000 people are at risk of flooding in Russian-controlled areas, while 16,000 live in the most critical zone in Ukrainian-held territory.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy blamed the Russian forces for destroying the dam, while Russia held Ukraine responsible for the destruction of the Kakhovka dam. So far, it is not clear which side would benefit from the damage to the dam since both Russian-controlled and Ukrainian-held lands are at risk.

The Nova Kakhovka dam provides water supply to a wide area of southern Ukrainian farmland, including the Crimean peninsula. The dam also provides a water supply for the cooling of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, which is currently held by Russian forces.