Ahead of the Leaders Summit on Climate hosted by the United States, spectators were keen on hearing Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s stance on climate change.

Following the completion of the first day of the summit, John Kerry, the special presidential envoy for climate, said he was “surprised” by Putin and Bolsonaro’s remarks at the Summit. 

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Kerry said, “Some of the comments that President Bolsonaro made today surprised me for they’re- that’s pretty good, that works, if you do those things. The question is will they do them? And the question is what’s the follow-through and enforcement. 

He further said that Putin was “pretty rational and put some decent visionary thoughts on things.” The Kremlin leader said Russia “genuinely interested” in global cooperation, reported CNN. 

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When asked if he would be visiting Brazil or Russia, Kerry said more negotiations on the climate are needed before taking any steps further. He said, “at some point, travel will be warranted”.

Summarising the discussions of the Summit, the presidential envoy said, “I think there’s room to hopefully have a discussion about this and we’ll see if we can find some common ground. I think that’s the most important summary of what I heard in terms of their comments today.”