Russian efforts to promote its interests at Cop27 will fail, says Ukraine minister

Ruslan Strilets says most of the 'civilised world' has already made its judgment

Ruslan Strilets, Ukraine's minister of environmental protection and natural resources, speaks at the Ukraine Pavilion during the Cop27 climate summit in Egypt. AP

Efforts by Russia to promote its interests at Cop27 will fail, a Ukraine minister has said from Sharm El Sheikh.

Ruslan Strilets, minister of environmental protection and natural resources, said he had heard Russian delegates, including representatives of the oil and gas industry, were attending the UN climate talks in Egypt but he hadn’t seen them and wouldn't talk to them.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, he said the majority of the civilised world had made up their mind and had condemned Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

“Russian efforts to [promote] their interests here will fail because all civilised countries will ignore this,” he said speaking through an interpreter.

Mr Strilets also said Ukraine would not talk to his Russian counterpart at Cop27 if they met accidentally, and said it was still very early to start assessing environmental damage in the newly-retaken Kherson area and touted how Ukraine would move to a greener future.

“There is a lot to be done to make the region safe for the work of our experts,” he said, regarding Kherson.

“It is one thing to get to Kherson but quite another for our experts to go into forests. It is very dangerous. I’m sure this process will be organised in the shortest possible time.”

Cop27 in Sharm El Sheikh — in pictures

A man wears a face mask that reads "no climate justice without human rights" during a protest at the COP27 UN Climate Summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. AP

A presentation at the American University in Cairo Pavilion. Reuters

Egyptian artist Bahia Sheha stands inside her installation "Heaven & Hell in the Anthropocene." AFP

Akihiro Nishimura, minister of the environment of Japan, reviews notes with others at the COP27. AP

US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, right, and Xie Zhenhua, China's special envoy for climate greet each other at the COP27 UN Climate Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. AP

Brazilian president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva poses for a group photograph with representatives of his country's indigenous people. AFP

People attend the COP27 UN Climate Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh. EPA

Activists dancing during a discussion on leaflets at the Cop27 climate conference, taking place in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. AFP

An activist wears a polar bear outfit as part of campaigning. AFP

From left, Rakia Amandou of Niger, Ba Aminata of Burkina Faso, Kenyan Rosemary Nenini, Fatima Mustafa Ahmed from Sudan and Djeneb Dicko from Burkina Faso at the Indigenous Peoples Pavilion. AP

Abdulla Nasser Musallam Al Rahbi, Oman's Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League, speaks at the COP27 climate conference in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. AFP

Climate activists demonstrate in the designated protest zone. AP

Sheikh Abdullah, Director General of Environment at the Public Authority of Kuwait, speaks at Cop27. AFP

Visitors at the Sharm El Sheikh International Convention Centre. AFP

A display outside the convention centre. AFP

A fountain in the green zone at the International Convention Centre at sunset. AFP

Mohamed bin Daina, right, Bahrain's Special Envoy for Climate Affairs and Chief Executive at the Supreme Council for Environment, at the conference. AFP

Members of Extinction Rebellion stage a protest at the Glencairn tidal pool outside Cape Town, South Africa to mark Cop27's 'Water Day'. AP

From left, Fahad Al Maskari of the Khalifa University, Frank Hartmann, Ghaleb Al Breiki of the UAE University, and Mouna Maroun of the University of Haifa, sign an agreement at Cop27. AFP

John Kerry, US special presidential envoy for climate, at Cop27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. AP Photo

Australian climate activists offer bananas to climate summit participants. AFP

Climate activist Sabrina Elba. AP Photo

Egyptian security forces stand guard during the protest. AFP

US President Joe Biden. AFP

Mr Biden with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi. AP

A Cop27 sign in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, provides the backdrop for this woman's selfie. Reuters

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi speaks to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the climate summit. AFP

A water wonderland greets this child at an acquarium in the Cop27 Green Zone. Reuters

Mr El Sisi, second left, takes part in a cycling marathon on the sidelines of Cop27. EPA

Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, speaks in Sharm El Sheikh about 'complicated' talks to set up a protection zone around Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. AFP

Frankie the dinosaur. Reuters

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Reuters

Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan, CEO of the Alliances for Global Sustainability; Mariam Al Mheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment and Minister of State for Food Security; and Hatem Dowidar, group CEO at e&. AFP

Sameh Shoukry, Cop27 president, centre left, poses for photos in the youth pavilion. AP

A visitor looks at the 'Zero Point' series of collage portraits by Turkish artist Deniz Sagdic, each of which is made from a particular kind of upcycled waste material. Getty

Participants visit the Ukrainian pavillon. AFP

Mr Kerry speaks during a session on accelerating the clean energy transition in developing countries. AP

Youth climate activists. Pictured, from the left, Eric Njuguna of Kenya, Nicole Becker of Argentina, Vanessa Nakate of Uganda, Sophia Kianni from Iran, and Mitzi Jonelle Tan of the Philippines. AP

Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser, right, chairman of the Islamic Development Bank Group, poses for a photo with Mohamed Hadi Al Hussaini, the UAE's Minister of State for Financial Affairs. AFP

Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund. Bloomberg

A police officer stands at the entrance of the Sharm El Sheikh International Convention Centre during Cop27. Reuters

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres. AP Photo

Former US vice president Al Gore speaks during a session at Cop27. AP Photo

Demonstrators shout slogans during a protest. AFP

He also outlined some of the environmental damage done to Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion in February.

He said there were 2,239 cases of environmental damage recorded, at least 20 per cent of protected areas under threat and about $35.3 billion in environmental damage done by Russia. Ukraine estimates that rebuilding will result in about 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

It is the first time Ukraine has had a pavilion at a Cop summit. Its sombre structure is painted in grey to reflect the war back home.

Ukraine pavilion at Cop27 — in pictures

Ukraine's pavilion at Cop27. It is the first time the country has a pavilion at a Cop. Photo: John Dennehy / The National

The pavilion has an installation designed to reflect a shell that has cratered the ground. Photo: Ukraine at Cop27

Samples of Ukraine's soil at the pavilion. Photo: Ukraine at Cop27

A piece of an oak tree damaged by shrapnel taken from Irpin. It is now on display at the pavilion. Photo: Ukraine at Cop27.

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, addresses Cop27. Sean Gallup / Getty Images

Russian media, meanwhile, reported that their country's delegation had travelled to Cop27 and was set to hold bilateral meetings during the two-week event.

The UN climate talks continue until November 18 in Sharm El Sheikh.