At the Forest Europe Expert Level Meeting held in Brussels in December, participants discussed the Ukrainian Foresters Initiative calling for support,presented by Vasyl Masyuk, forestry expert and member of the Public Council at the State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine.

The presentation highlighted the profound impacts of the war on Ukraine’s forest sector:

• Extensive forest damage and contamination by mines and unexploded ordnance
• Severe risks to human safety and large areas rendered inaccessible
• Major operational challenges as forestry staff face extreme pressure, with many serving in the armed forces

At the same time, climate change is accelerating forest degradation, particularly affecting spruce forests and raising concerns about their long-term viability. Ukraine underlined that sustainable forest management and forest-based value chains remain essential for a climate-resilient future, even under wartime conditions.

Ukraine reaffirmed its strong commitment to alignment with pan-European forest-related processes and standards, while noting that the war severely constrains administrative and operational capacity. The political support provided by Forest Europe since 2022 was acknowledged, alongside a clear call to translate this support into practical instruments.

A key proposal was the establishment of a Multi-Donor Trust Fund for the Ukrainian forest sector as a long-term financial mechanism. The European Forest Institute (EFI) was proposed as host, with the Forest Europe Liaison Unit Sweden invited to act as ambassador, supporting coordination, advocacy and communication.

Robert Mavsar, Director of EFI, confirmed that EFI has already initiated exploratory work on collaboration, including the possible establishment of a dedicated Multi-Donor Trust Fund, while underlining that seed funding is essential to enable Ukraine to develop a long-term action programme and conduct donor outreach. Forest Europe remains committed to supporting Ukraine and to strengthening pan-European solidarity for sustainable forest management in times of crisis.