WASHINGTON (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin says he won’t judge Donald Trump‘s decision to abandon the Paris climate accord, which is being widely panned by other world leaders.
“Don’t worry, be happy!” Putin quipped Friday after being asked for his reaction at an economic forum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
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There’s plenty for Putin to cheer in Trump’s rejection of the agreement signed by 195 countries. Russia is the world’s biggest oil producer and fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
Trump’s move drives another wedge between the United States and its traditional European allies, while aligning its stance closer to Russia in boosting fossil fuels while deferring action to curb climate change.
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Putin joked that while it’s still chilly and rainy in Russia, Trump and American imperialism could now be blamed for global warming.