Presidents Vladimir Putin And Xi Jinping Not Attending COP26, Joe Biden Expresses Strong Criticism

Presiden Joe Biden. (Wikimedia Commons/Gage Skidmore)

JAKARTA - United States President Joe Biden criticized the leaders of China and Russia for not attending the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland.

In a speech on Tuesday night, President Biden said climate change was a 'big problem' and China was 'going away', adding it was the 'same thing with Russia and Putin.

Neither Russian President Vladimir Putin nor Chinese leader Xi Jinping attended this COP26 summit. Meanwhile, more than 120 leaders attended the conference in Scotland's largest city.

However, the two countries have sent delegates to the talks, which will last for two weeks until November 14. China is the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, followed by the US. Russia is the fifth largest after the European Union and India.

President Biden made his comments when asked about the role other countries, including China, Russia and Saudi Arabia, have played in the talks so far.

"The fact that China is trying to assert, understandably, a new role in the world as a world leader, is not showing up, come on," said President Joe Biden, adding Xi Jinping's absence was a "big mistake".

He said the same about Putin, explaining Russia's wilderness was on fire and their president "remaining silent" on the matter.

Separately, President Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, did not give a reason why the Russian leader was not present when they announced the decision in October, although he said climate change was an "important" priority for Russia.

However, President Vladimir Putin said Russia would also seek to achieve carbon neutrality "by 2060 at the latest", in a speech to an international energy forum on Oct. 13.

That same month, officials warned British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that Chinese President Xi Jinping was not expected to attend. It is estimated that President Xi has not left China since early 2020.

Earlier, in September President Xi Jinping announced China would target carbon neutrality by 2060, with plans to peak emissions before 2030.

Net zero, or being carbon neutral, means not adding to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

To note, both China and Russia are signatories to the pledge to reverse deforestation. Prior to President Biden's speech, President Putin virtually addressed a meeting on forest management at the COP26 summit on Tuesday, saying Russia was taking "the strongest and most powerful measures to preserve" forests, according to a Kremlin press release.

In addition, countries have announced major deals, including a global pledge to cut methane levels by 2030 and to end and reverse deforestation by the same year.