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A coalition from the United States, the United Kingdom and Ukraine is pushing for a more secure energy future by calling for investment in cleaner sources of power. They said in Arizona, it also means protecting public lands.

As the Trump administration shifts its energy policy to rely more heavily on fossil fuels, extreme weather events and environmental pollution are on the rise. The group Elected Officials to Protect America said what is happening now in Ukraine is an example of the need for more resilient energy sources, as Russian troops have focused on destroying the nation's energy infrastructure.

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Alex Cornell du Houx, president of Elected Officials to Protect America and a former Marine, said when fewer countries rely on Russian oil, the world will be safer.

"The number one thing we can do to take out the financing from Putin and others is to create a clean energy economy that creates prosperity, creates security and protects our health for everyone," du Houx contended.

In Arizona, a state working to ramp up solar power production, officials said investing in alternative energy would also protect the state's vast public lands. The Trump administration has said it is shaping policy to become more energy independent.

Svitiana Sushko, acting director of the Ukraine Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, said Ukraine has stepped up to the challenge by bringing more clean energy online, including wind and solar power.

"It’s not just a green project," Sushko pointed out. "It’s our shield against the war. It’s actual tools of our independence."

President Donald Trump has signed executive orders to push for energy independence and to create a sovereign wealth fund. The latter clears the way for the U.S. to sell off public land to the highest bidder. In Arizona, public lands account for more than 40 percent of the state's total land mass.