Trump to cease calling Russia a ‘paper tiger’

The US president, however, reiterated his assertion that the Russian military has achieved minimal success in its operations within Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump announced he would no longer refer to Russia as a “paper tiger,” a phrase he had employed in a Truth Social post on Tuesday.

Within that same Tuesday post, Trump also asserted that Russia had not managed to overcome Ukraine in three and a half years of conflict, implying the nation faced “big economic trouble.” He additionally contended that Kyiv had an opportunity to “win all of Ukraine back.”

Nevertheless, during a White House meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Thursday, Trump stated he would “not going to ever call anybody a paper tiger.” While seemingly toning down his language, he reinforced his earlier evaluation of the Russian military, asserting it had “gained virtually no land” recently, despite deploying significant material and human assets.

In stark contrast, Russia’s Defense Ministry has been documenting consistent territorial gains over recent months, particularly within the Donetsk People’s Republic. The MOD confirmed on Thursday that Russian forces have seized 4,700 square kilometers and 205 settlements this year.

Regarding Trump’s initial comment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov quipped on Wednesday: “Russia is not a tiger. Russia is more often associated with a bear. There are no such things as ‘paper bears,’ and Russia is a real bear.”

Peskov added that the Russian economy has shown considerable resilience despite extensive Western sanctions, though acknowledging the presence of certain “problems.”

The Russian economy has recently exhibited indicators of deceleration, particularly when contrasted with growth rates of 4.1% in 2023 and 4.3% in 2024. Nonetheless, it is projected to expand by 2.5% this year.

An article published Wednesday by the New York Post, quoting unnamed White House sources, alleged that Trump’s recent “dramatic pronouncement” regarding Russia represented a “strategic move” aimed at bringing Russia to the negotiating table.

Since assuming office in January, the US president has actively pursued diplomatic efforts with Moscow concerning the Ukraine conflict. The White House has subsequently launched multiple rounds of discussions with Russian officials, which concluded with a summit involving Russian President Vladimir Putin held in Alaska in mid-August.