Kremlin reacts to Trump's comparison of Russia to "paper tiger"

The Kremlin has responded to remarks made by US President Donald Trump after he called Russia a "paper tiger".

Source: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in an interview with Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet RBC; Radio Liberty's Ukrainian Service

Quote from Peskov: "Russia is by no means a tiger. After all, Russia is more associated with a bear. There are no paper bears."

Details: Radio Liberty noted that the Kremlin spokesman essentially ignored Trump’s criticism apart from the "paper tiger" phrase.

Peskov said the Kremlin could not agree with all of Trump’s remarks regarding the "Russo-Ukrainian military conflict". He put the US president's change in tone down to his meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Putin’s spokesman added that Russia "continues its dialogue with the US as before and values Trump’s determination to achieve peace in Ukraine".

Peskov also said he was surprised by Zelenskyy’s refusal to come to Moscow and stated that the venues Ukraine has proposed for a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, such as Switzerland and Austria, are unacceptable to Moscow.

According to Peskov, there are no plans for a phone call between Putin and Trump at the moment, but it could be arranged at any time.

Peskov also claimed that Putin and Trump address each other informally and have a warm relationship. Trump said recently that his personal relationship with Putin had no impact on whether the war could be ended.

Peskov also called what is happening a "war" and said Russia "needs to win it". Officially, Russia still refers to its war in Ukraine as a "special military operation", and there have been cases of people being convicted of the offence of "discrediting the army" for using the word "war" in relation to the fighting in Ukraine.

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has also commented on Trump’s remarks. He refrained from insulting the US leader, suggesting instead that Trump has "entered an alternative reality" but would soon change his position.

Background: 

• In a post published on Truth Social after his meeting with Zelenskyy in New York yesterday, Trump questioned Russia’s military and economic strength, calling it a "paper tiger", and said that with EU support Ukraine may be able to win back its territories from Russia and "maybe even go further than that".
• Zelenskyy has also commented on Trump’s post, saying in an interview with Fox News that he was "a little surprised" by the US president’s remarks about Ukraine’s possible return to its 1991 borders, and stating that this is a positive signal.

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