TL;DR: Russia dismissed President Trump’s statement that Ukraine could reclaim all occupied territories, calling it “deeply mistaken” and reaffirming its commitment to continue the war with no alternative plan.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected Trump’s claim that Ukraine could win the war and retake all its territory, saying: “It would be a mistake to think Ukraine could recapture territory.”
- Peskov stated Russia would continue its “special military operation” because it has “no alternative” and is acting “for many generations to come.”
- In response to Trump calling Russia a “paper tiger”, Peskov said: “Russia is hardly a tiger. It’s more often associated with a bear. And there’s no such thing as a paper bear.”
- Trump’s remarks followed his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the UN, where he praised Ukraine’s “great spirit” and said the country is “only getting better.”
- Peskov said Trump’s view was based on Zelensky’s version of events: “Mr. Trump heard about what’s happening from Zelensky’s perspective. And, apparently, at this point, that version is what led to the assessment we heard.”
- On Trump urging countries to stop buying Russian oil, Peskov claimed this was to boost U.S. energy exports: “That’s essentially what he is doing.”