Former secretary of state and current U.S. climate special envoy John Kerry, recently said in response to the unprovoked assault on Ukraine by Russia, that he hopes the conflict doesn’t distract from what’s truly important: climate change.
Kerry was discussing the invasion on BBC, and lamenting the “massive emissions consequences” that the world would suffer as a consequence.
“I’m very concerned about, I’m concerned about Ukraine because of the people of Ukraine and because of the principles that are at risk, in terms of international law and trying to change boundaries of international law by force. I thought we lived in a world that had said no to that kind of activity. And I hope diplomacy will win,” Kerry said.
“But massive emissions consequences to the war but equally importantly, you’re going to lose people’s focus, you’re going to lose big country attention because they will be diverted and I think it could have a damaging impact,” he continued. “So, you know hopefully President Putin would realize that in the Northern part of his country, they used to live on 66% of the nation that was over frozen land.
“Now it’s thawing, and his infrastructure is at risk. And the people of Russia are at risk,” he added. “And so I hope President Putin will help us to stay on track with respect to what we need to do for the climate.”
Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on BBC Arabic: The Ukraine Crisis Could Distract the World from the Climate Crisis While Having Massive Emissions Consequences #RussiaUkraineConflict #UkraineRussie #UkraineRussiaCrisis #ClimateCrisis @JohnKerry @ClimateEnvoy pic.twitter.com/nsOC1iZeGm
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) February 24, 2022
Kerry’s unbelievable comments show just how tunnel-visioned and deluded many Democrats are. To be concerned about slight up and down temperature drifts rather than having any serious concern about the dismantling of a democracy by a bullish nuclear superpower speaks volumes about Kerry’s true priorities.
“Ukraine… we’re going to resolve it… over X number of years. But the climate crisis remains existential, just as it was before the Ukraine crisis came up,” Kerry said.
Against a backdrop of widespread suffering in Ukraine caused by the unprovoked assault by Vladimir Putin, Kerry’s comments are insanely insensitive and inappropriate, and Republicans called him out for it.
Climate change religious zealot John Kerry is worried that the first major ground war in Europe in 80 years & #Putin’s threat of nuclear consequences is getting more attention than his climate agenda
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 24, 2022
As Sec. of State, John Kerry did nothing to stop the invasion of Crimea, all for an unenforceable agreement to fight the air. Now that his chickens came home to roost, he’s more worried about emissions from war & distraction from the climate than the slaughter in #Ukraine. https://t.co/ReVgYlfw8O
— Rep. Scott Perry (@RepScottPerry) February 24, 2022
