russia

Milan, Italy - Today's (Tuesday 2nd December 2003) statement by a Russian economic suggesting Moscow is now against ratifying the Kyoto Protocol was nothing more than pre-election bluster ahead of Moscow's Duma election this Sunday, according to WWF and Greenpeace.

A Russian economic advisor to President Putin, Andrei Illarionov, had stated that he believed Russia would not ratify Kyoto in its present form, because it placed "significant limitations on the economic growth of Russia".

Moscow Greenpeace today highlighted Russian president Vladimir Putin's missed opportunity to make history by not announcing when Russia will ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Putin was addressing participants in the 2003 World Climate Change Conference held in Moscow this week.

In the face of mounting evidence regarding the impacts of climate change on the planet, the silence of President Putin on Russian ratification puts the world at further risk, contends Greenpeace.