Ukraine has joined the EU’s LIFE program, under which it will be able to get resources and funding to address the long-term effects of Russian aggression, as well as to restore the environment as a whole.
Ukraine’s Environment Minister Ruslan Strilets and EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicius signed a respective document in Kyiv.
“Today is a landmark day for the entire environment of our country. Ukraine has received great support from the European Union and enormous opportunities for nature restoration – we have signed an agreement to participate in the LIFE program. This means that from now on our state will have the appropriate funding to restore the environment, which is ruthlessly harmed by the Russian Federation,” Strilets said.
According to him, LIFE is the only EU program that focuses exclusively on nature conservation and climate action. Over 30 years, more than 5,600 projects in the European Union and abroad have been successfully implemented as part of the program. The budget of the program for 2021-2027 is EUR 5.43 billion, which corresponds to 0.48% of the total EU budget. (Ukrinform/Business World Magazine)