Overview

• Dmitri Peskov rejected President Trump’s characterization of Russia as a “paper tiger” and said there is no alternative to continuing the “special military operation.”
• He dismissed the idea that Ukraine could reconquer territory and reiterated that Moscow will pursue goals set by the president at the start of the campaign.
• Peskov said contacts with the United States have yielded “results close to zero,” noting Vladimir Putin’s proposal to extend New START limits by one year.
• Trump made a sharp rhetorical turn by saying Kyiv could regain its territory, a shift Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed as a major turning point.
• Russia holds about 20% of Ukraine and seeks Kyiv’s cession of five regions and a NATO renunciation, positions Ukraine rejects as talks stall and U.S. intentions remain unclear.