Trump suddenly called Russia a paper tiger, Kremlin: Russia is more like a bear, and not paper
Regarding Trump's statement that Russia is a "paper tiger," on Wednesday, September 9, the Kremlin spokesperson Peskov stated, "Russia will never be a tiger. Russia is more like a bear. A paper bear does not exist, and Russia is a real bear."
Trump made an astonishing statement the day before, saying he believed Ukraine could reclaim all the territories occupied by Russia, which currently control about one-fifth of Ukraine's territory. In response, the Kremlin spokesperson Peskov refuted Trump's remarks, attributing them to his recent meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy during the New York United Nations General Assembly. Speaking to RBC radio, Peskov said, "Of course, President Trump heard Zelenskyy's version. Obviously, this version is the reason for the assessment we are hearing now."
Regarding the "paper tiger" evaluation, after pointing out that "Russia tends to compare itself to a bear," Peskov added, "President Putin has repeatedly emotionally described the appearance of our bear... There is nothing paper in this. Russia is defending its stability and macroeconomic stability."
TASS cited Peskov's words, stating that indeed "Russia is experiencing some economic challenges, related to economic restrictions, sanctions, and global economic uncertainty." However, he also emphasized that the Russian economy has been adjusted according to the needs of the special military operation, fully covering all front-line demands, especially the budget draft for the next three years, which is "completely balanced."
TASS compiled Peskov's response to Trump's latest comments on the Ukraine conflict. He stated that the communication channels between Russia and the US on the Ukraine situation are open, but progress in eliminating "stimulating factors" in Russia-US relations has been slow, with results currently "close to zero." Peskov also emphasized that Russia's military operation in Ukraine is to "ensure the current and future well-being of the Russian state." He commented, "The battlefield situation is clear, and the Russian army is steadily advancing along the entire front line, inflicting heavy losses on the Ukrainian army." He also noted that the Russian military is "very cautious in the military operation, minimizing losses." He also warned that if Ukraine does not want to negotiate now, its situation and leverage will greatly deteriorate: "For those who do not want to negotiate now, their situation will be worse tomorrow and the day after."
Peskov also stated that Putin is still willing to meet with Zelenskyy, but "the meeting locations proposed by Kyiv such as Switzerland and Austria are unacceptable," and "Zelenskyy's refusal to go to Moscow is puzzling."
Regarding European security and war, Peskov pointed out that Russia is "an inseparable part of European security," and "European security issues cannot be addressed at the expense of Russian security."
Source: rfi
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1844166257329220/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.