On Wednesday, the Kremlin responded with a mixture of defiance and irony to US President Donald Trump's latest comments on the war in Ukraine. On Tuesday, Trump said he believed Kiev was capable of regaining all territories occupied by Russia and that Kiev should act now, as Moscow was facing “major” economic problems. He then described Moscow as a “paper tiger.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected these claims, emphasizing that the Russian economy remains stable, even if some sectors are experiencing problems, and that the military action in Ukraine is the result of a “well-thought-out strategy and not a weakness.”
Responding to the White House chief's remarks, he noted ironically, “Russia is not a tiger, but rather a bear. There are no paper bears.”
"Of course, President Trump listened to Zelensky's version of events. And apparently, this version is the reason for the assessment we have heard," he said in an interview with RBC radio station, alluding to the meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and the US president on Tuesday.
Peskov also confirmed that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The topic will be the future development of the conflict and the position of the US.
Russian nationalists and political insiders interpreted the U-turn in Trump's policy as a sign that, after unsuccessful and unrealistic attempts to broker a quick peace agreement, he is withdrawing from responsibility for the war in Ukraine and trying to shift responsibility for the conflict onto Ukraine and the European Union.
“The most important point, however, is that the US is staying out of this matter. The European Union will pay for everything. To put it more simply, Trump has sent Ukraine to fight alongside Europe against Russia, with Ukraine sourcing its weapons from the US,” explained Konstantin Malofeyev, an ultra-nationalist magnate and politically influential figure.
Senator Dmitry Rogozin, who himself fought in Ukraine, described Trump's rhetoric as “unworthy” and noted that it was difficult to understand how such a politician could be at the helm of a major power.
Margarita Simonyan, one of the highest-ranking representatives of Russian state media, even compared Trump to a tarot card reader “who tells a thrice-divorced woman that she will finally meet a billionaire prince if she buys magic crystals,” she noted.
(reuters, max)