The Kremlin lashed out at Donald Trump after he called Russia a “paper tiger” and backed Ukraine to reclaim all occupied land.
The Kremlin issued an angry response Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump declared Ukraine could reclaim all of its territory from Russia, calling Moscow a “paper tiger” with a weakened economy.
Trump, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, said Kyiv may take back “every inch” of land seized by Russia since the 2022 invasion. The shift followed a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov hit back, saying Trump was “deeply mistaken” and insisting Russia remained “a real bear” with no choice but to continue what it calls a “special military operation.”
While acknowledging “tensions” in the economy, Peskov defended the war as vital for Russia’s future.
Zelensky welcomed Trump’s pivot as a “big shift,” but Ukrainians voiced skepticism, urging action rather than rhetoric.
The policy reversal adds new strain to already frayed U.S.-Russia relations.