Russia tries to unfreeze gold reserves for climate funds at COP28

Russia said on Saturday it was looking into whether its frozen gold reserves, taken after Russia invaded Ukraine, could be used to fund the climate damage fund to help developing countries. In what looked like an attempt to try to fulfil Moscow's aim of doing "everything possible" to stop the West from seizing its frozen reserves, Russia's climate envoy said at the COP28 summit the move would help to close the gap between developed and developing countries in dealing with climate change. The West froze around half – or more than $300 billion – of Russia's international reserves after Moscow sent its armed forces into Ukraine in February last year.