The Kremlin responded Wednesday to President Trump's assertion this week that Ukraine can win the war against Russia and labeling Putin's military "a paper tiger."
The big picture: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov suggested during a Russian radio interview that Trump's abrupt rhetoric shift was due to him meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in New York.
- He also suggested that Trump's push for Europe to ditch Russian fuels was motivated to increase U.S. energy sales.
What he's saying: "Russia is hardly a tiger," Peskov told RBC Radio, per a Moscow Times translation.
- "It's more often associated with a bear. And there's no such thing as a paper bear. Russia is a real bear," said Peskov, who claimed that Putin's forces had "no alternative" but to continue with their war on Ukraine.
- On energy, Peskov said "the simplest thing is to force the whole world to buy more expensive American oil and more expensive American liquefied gas," adding: "And without resorting to any elaborate diplomatic maneuvers, that's essentially what he is doing."
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