Overview

• Trump urged Ukraine to retake all occupied territory with European backing and described Russia as a “paper tiger,” arguing Moscow faces deep economic strain.
• Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the label, saying Russia is a “real bear,” and claimed Trump’s view was shaped by Zelensky’s presentation of the war.
• Peskov dismissed the idea that Ukraine can win back territory and pointed to battlefield dynamics as evidence against Trump’s assessment.
• Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warned the Trump administration that the risk of direct U.S.-Russia conflict remains high.
• Zelensky reported a good conversation with Trump, said the U.S. position has shifted, and emphasized that Ukraine cannot trade away territory, while Russian voices noted a front-line impasse and some nationalists argued the U.S. is shifting costs to the EU.