Trump's new statement after calling Russia a "paper tiger"

In a post after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump described Russia as a “paper tiger,” referring to Moscow’s failure to defeat Ukraine after more than three and a half years of fighting. Trump also hinted that Russia was in “great economic trouble.” He also said that Kiev had a chance to “take back all of its territory.”

However, during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on September 25, Trump appeared to tone down his tone. “I will never call anyone a paper tiger again, but Russia has spent millions of dollars on bombs, missiles, ammunition, and many people have died. Yet they have gained virtually no territory,” Trump said during a meeting with Erdogan.

“With all the ferocity of the attacks over the last two weeks, Russia has gained virtually no territory,” Trump said, referring to Russia’s latest offensives in Ukraine.

According to RT, the Russian Defense Ministry has recently announced progress on the battlefield, especially in the fighting in the Donetsk region.

In a statement on September 25, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the country's army had taken control of an additional 4,700 km² of territory and 205 settlements in Ukraine this year.

Earlier, the Kremlin commented on Trump's initial statement. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "Russia is not a paper tiger. Russia is often associated with the image of a bear. There is no such thing as a 'paper bear', and Russia is a real bear."

Mr. Peskov also affirmed that the Russian economy has demonstrated remarkable resilience to Western sanctions, although "some problems" still exist.

Russia’s economy has recently shown signs of slowing down compared to the growth of 4.1% in 2023 and 4.3% in 2024, but is still forecast to grow by around 2.5% this year, according to RT.

An anonymous source at the White House said that Mr. Trump’s latest “dramatic” statement, such as calling Russia a “paper tiger,” is actually a “strategic move” to push Moscow to the negotiating table.

However, Mr. Peskov also affirmed that Russia will remain steadfast in its goals set out in the special military operation in Ukraine.