Greta Thunberg trolls Vladimir Putin by appropriating his criticism of 'A kind but poorly informed teenager' as her Twitter bio
Just like she had reacted to President Donald Trump mocking her on Twitter, 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg changed her social media bio after Russian President Vladimir Putin taunted her United Nations speech.
After the Kremlin leader called the teen a kind but "poorly informed teenager" who was being "used by adults", the Swedish schoolgirl adopted his criticism into her Twitter bio, which presently reads, "A kind but poorly informed teenager."
At an energy forum in Moscow on Wednesday, October 2, Putin said: "I may disappoint you but I don't share the common excitement about the speech by Greta Thunberg."
"No one has explained to Greta that the modern world is complex and different and... people in Africa or in many Asian countries want to live at the same wealth level as in Sweden. Go and explain to developing countries why they should continue living in poverty and not be like Sweden," he said.
He added that while young people who protest against environmental crises should be supported, he was against adults using their enthusiasm for their gain.
"But when someone is using children and teenagers in personal interests, it only deserves to be condemned," the Russian president said.
"I'm sure that Greta is a kind and very sincere girl. But adults must do everything not to bring teenagers and children into some extreme situations," he added.
She had adopted a similar technique when Trump sarcastically tweeted, "She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!" after Thunberg's riveting and emotional speech at the Climate Action Summit last month.
Thunberg had changed her bio to read, "A very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future."
Unfazed by the string of criticisms she has had to face after her speech, Thunberg said that conservative leaders and religious thinkers going after children for standing up against climate change proved that her message had become "too loud to handle."