While Trump’s new stance was welcomed in some circles, several European officials concluded that Trump is placing the responsibility of defending Ukraine on them, with expectations that are difficult for Europe to meet. An unnamed European official commented on Trump’s sudden change of stance, saying, “This is the beginning of the blame game.” He added, “The United States knew that imposing tariffs would be impossible” for the European Union.
The Russian Presidential spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, announced on Wednesday that claims that Ukraine could regain what it has lost are false, noting that the dynamics of the situation on the fronts demonstrate this beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Peskov responded earlier on Wednesday to statements by U.S. President Donald Trump, saying that Russia is closer to a bear than a tiger and that there are no paper bears. In remarks to Russian media responding to Trump’s statement, which described Russia’s economy, Peskov said, “The term ‘paper tiger’ was used to refer to our economy… Russia is certainly not a tiger; after all, Russia is more associated with a bear, and there are no paper bears.”
