‘Go Explain To Developing Countries’: Putin Criticises Greta Thunberg’s U.N. Speech

U.S. President Donald Trump mocked Thunberg and Canadian Member of Parliament Maxime Bernier called her alarmist and mentally unstable. Thunberg said their mockery of children showed her message had become “too loud to handle”.

Putin said young people who paid attention to environmental issues should be supported, adding: “But when someone is using children and teenagers in personal interests, it only deserves to be condemned. Go and explain to developing countries why they should continue living in poverty and not be like Sweden,” Putin told an energy conference, adding it was deplorable that Thunberg was being used by some groups — which he did not name — to achieve their own goals.

Inspired by Thunberg’s solitary weekly protest outside the Swedish parliament a year ago, millions of people have poured onto the streets around the globe to demand governments take emergency action on climate change.

Thunberg told the U.N. conference: “This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you?”

“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” she said.

Earlier this week, a member of the Russian lower house of parliament, the Duma, invited Thunberg to Russia to deliver a speech.