Russia hits back at Trump’s ‘deeply mistaken’ comments after he turned on Putin

The Kremlin has responded negatively to Donald Trump’s suggestion that Ukraine^[1] can retake occupied land, his description of Russia as a”paper tiger” and his claims of economical instability.

Russia^[2] said the President is “deeply mistaken” and pushed back on the comments, stressing its invasion was “not an aimless war”. A statement also made a point of saying the process of restoring relations with Washington was moving much slower than Russia had hoped.

Trump said a return to “the original borders from where this war started is very much an option” and added: “I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union^[3], is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.”

But Russia today rejected Trump’s description of the nation as a “paper tiger” and warned that its military was advancing and it is economy stable – and not suffering “big problems” like the 79-year-old claimed.

The President, who previously encouraged Ukraine to surrender, went on to say it required “time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO” could help Kyv win back lost territory, and said Russia was in “economic trouble”.

Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said Moscow had been “fighting aimlessly” for over three years and had it been a “real military power” it would have defeated Ukraine in less than a week.

During his spiky address, Trump told reporters that NATO should shoot down Russian^[4] planes if they enter allied airspace. Further antagonising Russia, Trump called his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky^[5] “a great man” who is “putting up one hell of a fight”.

He went on: “We have great respect for the fight Ukraine^[6] is putting up, it’s pretty amazing actually. This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger.”

The fall out comes as one Vladimir Putin’s^[7] most trusted advisors has told the dictator he will be committing a “terrible sin” if he fails to consider using nuclear weapons in Europe.

Sinister Sergei Karaganov – dubbed Professor Doomsday – is the honorary chairman of the Russian Council for Foreign and Defence Policy. The 73-year-old has now claimed unleashing tactical atomic weapons is the only way to prevent a larger war between the US and Russia^[8].

He spoke as Putin’s acolytes are increasingly advocating going nuclear. Chief TV propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, who also advocates nuclear strikes, smirked and laughed as he called on his nightly TV show for Oxford and Cambridge to be bombed to decimate the British elite and their universities.

“The use of nuclear weapons, in extreme cases, in the most dreadful case, is a terrible sin,” said Karaganov. “But not using them and condemning your people and the world^[9] to a major war is an even greater sin.”

He voiced a refrain that Russia is somehow threatened by the countries of Europe, and that Putin had to defeat this supposed threat. “The main objective in our war, which we’re waging against Europe and the West in Ukraine, is to….break the back of Europe,” he said on Russian state TV. This can be done.

“We must abandon some of the foolish ideas devised by our predecessors [who] still say that a nuclear war shouldn’t happen. And that it can never be won This is absolute nonsense. A nuclear war can be won, God forbid it happens.”