Moscow’s immediate reaction to Trump’s remarks about war

On Wednesday, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov noted that the rapprochement between Moscow and Washington, initiated by Trump, is not yielding tangible results, especially after the American leader's shift in support of Ukraine. According to the Kremlin spokesman, Russia remains steadfast and sees no other option but to continue military action against Ukraine. "Attempts are being made in our Russian-American relations to eliminate irritants, but progress is slow, and the results are practically zero," Peskov said on RBC radio, as quoted by AFP, Agerpres, and Reuters. He rejected Trump's characterization, stating that President Vladimir Putin appreciates efforts aimed at resolving the conflict. "Russia is not a tiger. Most often, our country is compared to a bear. There are no paper bears—Russia is a real bear," the Kremlin spokesman emphasized, according to TASS. Peskov assured that the Russian economy remains resilient, although difficulties and tensions are being observed in certain areas. Nevertheless, he stated that abandoning the "special military operation" launched in February 2022 is impossible: "We continue to act in the interests of the country, for the sake of the present and future of our citizens. We have no other option." He also added that Russian troops are advancing in all directions, and the changes in the conflict's dynamics are noticeable.