Moscow — September 24, 2025 — The Kremlin has dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest remarks on the Ukraine war, accusing him of being misled by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, while Russian nationalists mocked his sudden change of stance.
Trump, after meeting Zelenskiy in New York, told reporters that Ukraine could “recapture all its land” from Russia, urging Kyiv to act swiftly as Moscow faced economic strain. The comments marked a sharp departure from Trump’s earlier, more cautious tone on the conflict.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected Trump’s assessment, saying it “does not reflect the reality on the ground.” He argued that Russia’s strategy remained deliberate and resilient, pushing back against Trump’s portrayal of Russia as a “paper tiger.”
Russian nationalists were quick to ridicule the U.S. president. Influential figures such as Konstantin Malofeyev accused Trump of “washing his hands” of Ukraine’s future, while Security Council deputy chair Dmitry Medvedev claimed Trump had “slipped into an alternate reality” and could reverse his position again.
The exchange underscores mounting tensions in international narratives around the war. While Kyiv welcomed Trump’s remarks as encouraging, Moscow is signaling that it sees no shift in the balance of power. Analysts say the development could deepen divisions between Washington and Moscow as the conflict grinds on.