The International Dimension of Ukraine’s Climate Policy in the Context of a Full-Scale Russian Invasion

Abstract

This article examines how the Russian–Ukrainian war has reshaped Ukraine’s environmental policy by causing large-scale damage to ecosystems, destroying critical infrastructure, and generating long-term environmental threats. It analyses how warfare – particularly the use of explosives, attacks on industrial and energy facilities, and extensive mining of territories – contributes to soil, water, and air pollution, biodiversity loss, and land degradation. Special attention is devoted to ecocide and its im plications for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The article further explores the wartime transformation of Ukraine’s environmental governance, highlighting the role of international climate platforms –especially the UN climate process (UNFCCC/COP) – in communicating Ukraine’s position on ecocide, linking war-related environmental harm to climate change, and promoting national environ mental initiatives. The study shows that the war has accelerated the reassessment of natural resource management, stimulated “green recovery” planning, and strengthened efforts to integrate environmen tal priorities into post-war reconstruction. Emphasising the international dimension, it demonstrates how Ukraine continues to engage in global initiatives such as the Paris Agreement and the Global Me thane Pledge despite ongoing aggression. Finally, the article argues that the war intensifies the need for international cooperation in environmental policy and for systematic documentation of environmental crimes as a basis for future compensation and recovery.