Online press briefing – Register here>>
Tuesday 17 May, 14:00 CEST
On May 17, the Stand With Ukraine Campaign will hold a press briefing to discuss the international response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the role of Kremlin’s oil and gas export revenues for prolongation of the war, and highlight shortcomings of currently proposed measures for a gradual phase-down of fossil fuel supplies from Russia.
Speakers:
Kostiantyn Krynytskyi (he/him), NGO Ecoaction, head of the energy department. Kostiantyn is an energy policy expert with a specific focus on renewables and just transition of coal regions. He holds a Master’s degree in Law and is currently in Ukraine.
Ilyess El Kortbi (they/them), Fridays For Future Ukraine, climate justice activist. Ilyess is a 25-year-old activist of Ukrainian and Moroccan origin who lived in Kharkiv before the war, acting as secretary for FFF Ukraine. Ilyess is currently based in Berlin and is campaigning for a fossil fuel embargo, for Peace and Climate Justice.
Lauri Myllyvirta (he/him), Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). Lauri is the co-founder and lead analyst of CREA, an independent research organization headquartered in Finland with staff across Europe and Asia. Lauri has degrees in economics from Helsinki University and in environmental science from the University of Jyväskylä.
Moderator:
Svitlana Romanko (she/her), Stand With Ukraine Campaign coordinator. Svitlana is a green movement strategist and climate activist who holds a doctorate in Climate Change Law, Climate Governance and Climate Policy. Previously she worked for 350.org and the Laudato Si Movement. She is currently based in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine.
Timing: speaker inputs – 15 minutes, followed by time for questions from the media (up to 45 minutes).
Register here to receive dial-in details: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYucuytrDkpH9SK2gPg34qDvrxpLcGCzl15
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. A recording will be shared with all registered participants afterwards.
Media contacts for more information:
Daniel Donner – [email protected], +32486083106
Catherine Joppart – [email protected], +32 491 64 37 35
Speakers will present the latest data and short updates concerning political and economic aspects of ongoing Russian fossil fuel supplies to Europe and explain grievances that Ukrainian civil society has against the European Commission and national governments of EU member states due to their slow action towards the full ban of Russia’s fossil fuels to end the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian and international civil society groups argue that the European Commission and national governments are not sufficiently engaging structural measures to phase out Russian fossil fuel imports and prioritize false solutions, such as new investments in LNG infrastructure, while not exercising solutions that are also necessary for climate action, including measures to reduce oil and gas demand from cars and buildings.
Russia’s oil and gas exports made up 45% of its federal budget in 2021, according to the International Energy Agency. That makes Russian fossil fuel exports a significant source of funding for its aggression in Ukraine. The EU is its biggest customer, paying around €60 billion for Russian energy imports since Russia invaded Ukraine, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Meanwhile, the bloc has sent just €1 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine. The European Parliament called in April for an immediate ban on Russian fossil fuel imports.
The European Commission is currently failing to take sufficient steps to end Europe’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels – potentially violating international human rights and worsening the climate crisis. Ukrainian climate groups and organizations launched an open letter to Bundestag and will use legal measures to hold the EU accountable for its indecisiveness in the most hideous time of recent European history.
About Stand with Ukraine:
The #StandWithUkraine campaign was launched on March 4 and calls for a ban on all trade and investment in Russian oil, coal and gas, and rapidly phasing out the use of fossil fuels. The campaign was launched by 45 Ukrainian NGOs and networks including the Ukrainian Climate Network, Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group, Zero Waste Alliance, Energy Transition Coalition, Ecoaction, Ecoclub. Now around 800 international, national and local nonprofits and networks from Angola and Nigeria to the Pacific have joined the call to action.