India, China, Russia have no sense of pollution; US ‘cleanest’: Trump

Washington: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday blamed India, China and Russia for allegedly not doing enough, and insisted the US has one of the ‘cleanest climates’.

During an interview with ITV, Trump made the remark when he was asked about his meeting with UK monarch Prince Charles on the last day of his three-day state visit.

Trump blamed India and other countries while withdrawing from the Paris climate accord in 2017, and reiterated the contention since. He had an extended discussion on Tuesday with Prince Charles on climate change, an issue on which the president is known to have serious reservations.

According to Trump, Charles did most of the talking, and he ‘totally listened’. He lauded the prince’s passion for the subject, and said he countered the suggestion that the US should do more to combat climate change.

He said: “I did say, ‘Well, the United States right now has among the cleanest climates there are based on all statistics.’ And it’s even getting better because I agree with that we want the best water, the cleanest water.”

He said countries like India, China and Russia didn't have a sense of pollution and cleanliness.

“China, India, Russia, many other nations, they have not very good air, not very good water, and the sense of pollution. If you go to certain cities … you can’t even breathe, and now that air is going up … They don’t do the responsibility,” Trump added.

Climate change was one of the issues in talks between Trump and Prime Minister May, reflecting demands before the state visit that he be confronted over his approach to it. A letter signed by 250 academics said his refusal to tackle global warming is “increasing risks for lives and livelihoods” around the world.

He was on a state-visit to Britain and met Queen Elizabeth, France President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and others in Portsmouth.