WASHINGTON – Following US withdrawal from the Paris climate change accord, President Donald Trump accused India and other countries of taking America hostage with their ‘demands’ for signing the climate accord.
Indian diplomats took note of Trump’s direct attack on India, accusing New Delhi of trying to extract “billions and billions and billions” of dollars in foreign aid from the developed world to sign up for the climate accord.
With claims of American “victimization” at the hands of the rest of the world, Trump’s speech delivered in a shrill tone leaves doubt on Narendra Modi’s proposed visit to the White House later this month, a TOI report said.
In a 27-minute, 3000-word ‘rant’ in the White House Rose Garden, Trump accused India of making its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions of dollars foreign aid from developed countries and said the Paris Accord was very unfair to the United States.
“India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions and billions of dollars in foreign aid from developed countries. There are many other examples. But the bottom line is that the Paris Accord is very unfair at the highest level to the United States,” he said.
“India will be allowed to double its coal production by 2020. Think of it. India can double their coal production. We’re supposed to get rid of ours. Even Europe is allowed to continue construction of coal plants,” he said.
Trump defended his withdrawal by arguing that the specifics of the Paris Accord would cost the US nearly 2.7 million jobs cuts by 2025, figures that are debated even within the US.
