Ukraine Appeal CEO Attends “40 Years On: Chornobyl’s Legacy and European Environmental Security”
Viktoriya Shtanko, CEO of Ukraine Appeal and Leader of Sunflower Ukrainian Supplementary School in Milton Keynes, attended the event “40 Years On: Chornobyl’s Legacy and European Environmental Security” in London. Marking four decades since the Chornobyl disaster, the organisers — the Ukrainian Institute London and the RSA — brought together experts, policymakers and community voices to reflect on the disaster’s enduring impact not only on Ukraine, but on Europe’s environmental security as a whole.
The panel explored how the lessons of Chornobyl continue to shape environmental policy, cross‑border cooperation and societal resilience across the continent.
Viktoriya shared that events of this kind are vital in today’s world, where daily nuclear threats and attacks on civilian infrastructure remind us that the lessons of Chornobyl are not confined to history. They stand as a warning for the present and a responsibility for the future.
She emphasised the cost of silence, negligence and political irresponsibility, noting that environmental disasters do not stop at borders.
Her message was clear: No Global Chornobyl.
A particularly powerful moment of the event was the immersive VR educational film created by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). This unique experience brought to life the reality and lasting consequences of the Chornobyl disaster, showing how deeply nuclear tragedy affects people, communities and generations.
Ukraine Appeal extends sincere thanks to the organisers and to the Ukrainian Institute London for creating space for such essential conversations and for continuing to champion Ukrainian voices and truth.
The latest issue of the London Ukrainian Review, exploring Chornobyl’s legacy and its wider environmental and political implications, is available here: https://www.londonukrainianreview.org
