On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded metaphorically to U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Russia was “A Paper Tiger,” seeking to downplay the country’s economic, political and military capabilities.
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“Russia is not a tiger: Russia is associated with a bear. There are no paper bears. Russia is a real bear. President Vladimir Putin has described our bear repeatedly and with different emotions. There is nothing made of paper here,” Peskov said, adding that the Kremlin cannot agree with all of Trump’s statements about the conflict in Ukraine.
The Kremlin spokesman attributed Trump’s change in tone to his recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“They met yesterday. Mr. Trump, of course, listened to Zelenskyy’s version of events. And, apparently, at this point, that version is the reason for the assessment we heard,” Peskov explained, adding that Russia maintains macroeconomic stability despite certain “pressure points.”
Peskov recalled that the war waged by Western powers against Russia is now in its most acute phase but that the Putin administration is determined to prevail.
“Listen, there is an ongoing war. The special military operation is one thing, but what is happening around us is a war. This is the most acute phase of the war. It is quite crucial. We need to win it for the sake and the future of our children and grandchildren,” he stressed.
Trump Believes Ukraine Can Defeat Russia
On Tuesday, Trump said he believes Ukraine, with support from Europe and NATO, “is in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form.”
The remarks marked a sharp shift in the White House’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as Trump has for months pressed Zelenskyy to make concessions to reach a cease-fire with Russia, claiming Kiev “doesn’t have the cards” in negotiations. Through his Truth Social account, the U.S. president wrote:
“After getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia Military and Economic situation and, after seeing the Economic trouble it is causing Russia, I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.
With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option. Why not? Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win. This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger.’
When the people living in Moscow, and all of the Great Cities, Towns, and Districts all throughout Russia, find out what is really going on with this War, the fact that it’s almost impossible for them to get Gasoline through the long lines that are being formed, and all of the other things that are taking place in their War Economy, where most of their money is being spent on fighting Ukraine, which has Great Spirit, and only getting better, Ukraine would be able to take back their Country in its original form and, who knows, maybe even go further than that! Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act.
In any event, I wish both Countries well. We will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them. Good luck to all!”
