Top Dem mocks Kerry for suggesting Russia can improve its image by taking action on climate change: 'Absurd'

A top congressional progressive torched U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry on Thursday after the former Massachusetts senator suggested observers would "feel better" about the Ukraine war if Russia made greater efforts to reduce emissions.

"If Russia has the ability to wage a war illegally and invade another country, they ought to be able to find the effort to be responsible in the climate issue," Kerry said.

"If Russia wanted to show good faith, they could go out and announce what their reductions are going to be and make a greater effort to reduce emissions now," Kerry said during a foreign press briefing on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., his last as the special presidential envoy for climate as he departed from the position Wednesday to reportedly join President Biden's presidential re-election campaign.

"Maybe that would open up the door for people to feel better about what Russia is choosing to do at this point in time," he added.

STEFANIK: WHAT IS JOHN KERRY ACTUALLY DOING AS CLIMATE CZAR?

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the now-dissolved House Oversight Subcommittee on the Environment, told Fox News on Thursday that Kerry was being "absurd" and that he could not defend his comments.

"Putin — his biggest crime is the invasion of Ukraine and killing innocent people," Khanna said on "America Reports." "And to think that if you had better climate policy, that that would in any way excuse a brutal war is just foolishness."

"I don't know what he was thinking, but I can't defend that," he added.

In his speech, Kerry noted that Russia, the world's largest nation by landmass, is also one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters — as its economy relies heavily on Siberian fossil fuel production.

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