Biden Invites Putin, Xi and other world leaders to climate summit

President Biden has invited 40 world leaders to participate in a virtual climate summit in April, the White House said.

Vladimir Putin responded icily after Joe Biden said he considered the Russian leader a killer earlier this month. Picture: AFP

US President Joe Biden has invited 40 world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to participate in a virtual climate summit next month, the White House said.

Mr Biden at the start of his administration rejoined the Paris climate pact, from which then president Donald Trump withdrew.

Despite friction with China over an array of issues, including trade and human rights, the Biden administration sees climate change as one area of co-operation, as well as nuclear proliferation.

Chinese officials have proposed scheduling a virtual meeting between MR Xi and Mr Biden on the sidelines, but the US has so far not responded to that request as it undergoes a broad review of China policy.

Relations between the US and Russia have been strained at the start of the Biden administration.

Mr Putin responded icily after Mr Biden said he considered the Russian leader a killer earlier this month. Mr Biden raised concerns about the detaining of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the massive SolarWinds hack in his first call with Mr Putin in January.

Mr. Biden, when asked about the summit, said on Friday (Saturday AEDT) that he had not spoken to either leader.

“They know they’re invited,” he said.

The White House released a list of 40 world leaders invited to the two-day summit on April 22, Earth Day, and April 23, including Scott Morrison, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom. Mr Biden said he had spoken to Mr Johnson earlier in the day.

At the end of the summit, the Biden administration will set a goal for reducing U.S. emissions over the next nine years.

White House officials said the meeting would serve as a key milestone ahead of the UN COP26 environmental summit in Glasgow, Scotland, in November.

The Wall Street Journal