Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Climate Change
Volodymyr Zelenskyy's public engagement with Climate Change policy has been largely superseded by the exigencies of the ongoing full-scale Russian invasion that began in 2022.
During the war, Zelenskyy has repeatedly condemned the extensive environmental damage inflicted by Russian forces, labeling it as an "environmental bomb of mass destruction" and "an ecocide," which is a recognized crime under Ukrainian law.
His stated efforts in this area involve meeting with European politicians to discuss this wartime ecological destruction, although a dedicated, proactive climate policy agenda has not been a central public theme of his presidency since 2022.
Context
As the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy leads a nation strategically located on the Black Sea and heavily reliant on agriculture, making it highly vulnerable to the long-term effects of climate change.
Furthermore, the war has caused unprecedented environmental damage, forcing Zelenskyy to treat ecological concerns not as a distant future problem, but as an immediate security and justice crisis, linking it directly to accountability for Russia's aggression.
Actions Taken
- Rhetorical framingDescribed the extensive environmental damage from the war as an "environmental bomb of mass destruction" and "an ecocide."
- Diplomacy and advocacyMet with prominent European politicians and others to discuss the environmental damage caused by the Russian invasion.
Key Quotes
We will find every scum who was shelling our cities, our people, who was shooting the missiles, who was giving orders. You will not have a quiet place on this earth – except for a grave.
I'm sure that without the Chinese market for the Russian Federation, Russia would be feeling complete economic isolation. That's something that China can do – to limit the trade [with Russia] until the war is over.