- Title: Russia's Putin criticises Greta Thunberg's UN speech
- Date: 2nd October 2019
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (OCTOBER 2, 2019) (RUSSIAN POOL) SESSION OF MOSCOW ENERGY FORUM IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "I may disappoint you, but I do not share everyone's enthusiasm about Greta Thunberg's speech. You know, the fact that young people, teenagers pay attention to the acute problems of the modern world, including ecology - that is right and very good. We need to support them. But when somebody uses children and teenagers in their own interests - it deserves only to be condemned." SESSION IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "Nobody explained to Greta that the modern world is complicated and complex, it changes fast. People in Africa and in many Asian countries want to be as wealthy as people in Sweden. How can it be done? By making them use solar energy, which is plentiful in Africa? Has anyone explained the cost of it?" WOMAN AMONG AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "But is it an accessible technology for the developing (CONTINUES OVER SHOT OF AUDIENCE) economies and developing countries? Hardly accessible. But people there want to live like in Sweden and nothing can stop them. Go and explain them that they must live in poverty for 20-30 more years as well as their children. Explain it to them." SESSION IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "Overall, of course we cannot but support the ideas of developing renewable energy sources. We just need to be realistic." SESSION IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 16th October 2019 14:41
- Keywords: Greta Thunberg Putin speaks about Greta UN speech Greta Putin Thunberg Putin
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZEO5L3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (October 2) dismissed environmental activist Greta Thunberg as a kind but poorly informed teenager manipulated into making unrealistic demands in her United Nations speech last month.
Speaking at an energy conference, in Moscow, Putin also said that it had been deplorable that Thunberg was being used by some groups - which he did not name - to achieve their own goals.
Thunberg, 16, gave an impassioned address at the United Nations in New York this week, after millions of people world-wide joined a climate strike protest last Friday in the run-up to a U.N. climate summit.
(Production: Dmitry Turlyun) - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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