‘Greta is Kind but Poorly Informed’: Putin on Thunberg’s UN Speech

Putin has said he does not share excitement about teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg’s speech at the United Nations.

(Photo: AP/Altered by The Quint)

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, 2 October, said he did not share excitement about teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg's speech at the United Nations in September, Reuters reported.

Speaking at an energy conference, Putin called her a "kind but poorly informed teenager manipulated into making unrealistic demands," according to another Reuters report.

The young Swedish climate activist had delivered a passionate and electrifying speech at the UN climate summit, lashing out at world leaders for not doing enough to save the environment, and asking “How dare you?”

‘Go And Explain It to Developing Countries’

Putin said he did not share the common excitement over her speech and added that he felt that no one had explained to Greta that the people in Africa or in many Asian countries want to live at the same wealth level as in developed countries.

“Go and explain to developing countries why they should continue living in poverty and not be like Sweden,” Putin told attendees of the conference, Reuters reported.

Putin also suggested that Thunberg may have been manipulated to serve the interests of others.

The Russian president said, “It’s deplorable when someone is using children and teenagers in their interests,” but did not choose to elaborate, Associated Press reported.

Putin is not the first leader to criticise Thunberg’s speech. US President Donald Trump has mocked Thunberg, while Canadian Member of Parliament Maxime Bernier termed her “alarmist and mentally unstable,” according to Reuters.

(With inputs from Reuters and Associated Press.)