The War in Ukraine from 2022 and Its Impact on the Environment

Abstract

The present article aims to focus the attention on the Russian-Ukrainian war from February 24, 2022 and its impact on the environment. The analysis reveals the importance of climate issues in Ukraine for the past, present and future of the country by considering: a/the war as wake-up call for climate emergency; and b/ the desire of Kiev for accession to the EU as an opportunity for green transition and sustainable recovery. It is claimed that the war in Ukraine from 2022 is an example of how military actions have a significant ecological footprint and how the post-war recovery could be a chance for low-carbon development of the economy and society of the second largest country in Europe, the seventh in terms of population and the eighth of military forces of the old continent. On the one hand, it emphasizes on the multidimensional role of the armed forces and defence sector that should be considered within the wider climate-security nexus. On the other hand, it shows that the pursuit of EU membership has a green transformative effect, considering the strategic targets of the Union to move towards Net Zero by 2050. The analysis leads to the following conclusions: 1) The military conflict between Russia and Ukraine shows the widespread use of various types of weapons, which generates large amounts of carbon dioxide, by strongly affecting the climate of the entire continent; 2) The post-war recovery is a chance for Ukraine for better sustainable development of its economy, society and security; 3) The path of Ukraine to the EU would be a stimulus for the armed forces and defence sector, as causing and suffering the consequences of climate change, to increase the resilience of their capabilities and infrastructure, by investing in green and innovative technologies and at the same time by decreasing their environmental footprint without reducing their operational effectiveness.