Kremlin dismisses Biden criticism at climate summit

Russia has dismissed criticism from President Biden about President Vladimir Putin’s absence from the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow. 

“His tundra is burning — literally, the tundra is burning. He has serious, serious climate problems, and he is mum on willingness to do anything,” Biden said on Nov. 2, the Associated Press reported.

Countering Biden’s critical comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia’s actions are “consistent, serious and well-thought-through.”

“The tundra indeed is burning. But let’s not forget that forests are burning in California, and in Turkey, and in other countries. These are the consequences of climate change we’re facing, and Russia, to some extent, is facing more serious challenges,” Peskov added, according to AP. 

Peskov further stated that “Russia as a country is making enormous efforts and will continue to do so systematically to reduce the anthropogenic burden on the climate, but this is a process that requires adequate measures on the part of all states,” according to Reuters.

Putin decided against attending the summit because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He instead addressed the climate conference with a pre-recorded video message on Tuesday ahead of a meeting on restricting deforestation.

“Russia is committed to achieving a carbon-neutral economy by 2060 at the latest and is relying, among other things, on the unique natural resource of its forest ecosystems and their significant capacity to absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen,” Putin said in his address.