Ruslan Strilets: Ukraine now has a plan and understands key stages of its implementation to achieve climate goals

Ruslan Strilets, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, discussed the vector of Ukraine's climate policy with European Commissioner for Climate Action Wopke Hoekstra in Brussels.

"2023 was the hottest year for the planet, according to scientists. Ukraine is going through another of its hottest years - the second year of war. But despite this, we have not abandoned our commitments for a single day and are moving forward with the climate agenda together with the world. For us, this is not just a matter of fighting global climate change. It is a strategy for green reconstruction of Ukraine," the Minister said.

According to him, russian aggression has added new challenges to the global climate track. But because of this, adaptation measures for cities and regions are becoming an even more important priority for Ukraine.

"I would also like to thank DG Clima (Directorate-General Climate Action) and Kurt Vandenberghe for the constructive dialog. To continue to build our climate architecture with high quality, the EU experience is valuable to us. We appreciate every recommendation of our international partners," the Minister emphasized.

Ukraine's new climate policy will be presented in more detail at the Ukrainian pavilion at the COP28 climate conference.

Meanwhile, a dialog on the environmental consequences of russia's aggression is ongoing in Brussels, not only for Ukraine but for the whole world.