Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to the podium at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Tuesday and spoke about the perils of climate change.
World leaders from at least 145 countries are gathering for the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City this week. Zelenskyy used part of his speech to discuss the threats climate change poses to humanity.
“Humanity is failing on its climate policy objectives,” Zelenskyy said. “This means that extreme weather will still impact the normal global life and some evil state will also weaponize its outcomes,” he said.
Zelenskyy mentioned how people are dying as a result of natural disasters, using Morocco and Libya as some examples, and that Russia has launched “a big war” that has “killed tens of thousands of people” amid all of this.
Zelenskyy: “Humanity is failing on its climate policy objectives” pic.twitter.com/h2w54lXL9Z
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 19, 2023
Zelenskyy called for the United Nations to take action against Russia and argued such unity will restrain the country.
“It takes our unity to make sure that aggression will not break in again,” the Ukrainian president declared.
Zelenskyy accused Russia of weaponizing world food shortages, its energy resources and nuclear power, a BBC analyst reported.
This commentary over Russia weaponizing food was an apparent reference to Russia’s decision not to renew the grain deal that allowed Ukraine to export its grain across the Black Sea and Russia’s bombardment of Ukrainian ports.
“Since the start of the full-scale war, the Ukrainian ports have been blocked by Russia,” Zelenskyy said, per the BBC. “Our ports on the Danube River remain the target for missiles and drones.”
Zelenskyy went on to describe the Russian invasion as a “genocide.”
Zelenskyy has linked climate change to Russia’s war on his country in the past. As far back as Nov. 2022, he spoke about how the war harmed the world’s attempt to fight climate change during a United Nations’ climate change summit, France24 reported.
“We must stop those who, with their insane and illegal war, are destroying the world’s ability to work united for a common goal,” Zelenskyy said, per France24.