The Kremlin slammed US President Donald Trump’s U-turn on Ukraine delivered during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 23 saying the only option is to continue the war.

Trump wrote on Truth Social after his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the UNGA that Ukraine, “with the support of the EU, is capable of fighting and retaking all of Ukraine in its original form,” describing Russia as a “paper tiger” facing economic collapse.

“Ukraine is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form, and who knows, maybe even go further,” he added.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov hit back at Trump’s claim that Ukraine could in effect win the war, adding Russia would continue its offensive on Ukraine “to ensure our interests and achieve the goals”.

“We are doing this for both the present and the future of our country. For many generations to come. Therefore, we have no alternative,” he said in a radio interview with Russia’s RBC radio station. “The idea that Ukraine can recapture something is, from our point of view, mistaken.”

Peskov echoed Russian President Vladimir Putin comments earlier this month at the Vladivostok Economic Forum where the Russian president repeated that he was open to talks with Zelenskiy, but if no talks were held then the conflict would be settled “by force.”

Trump’s comments are an abrupt about-face after he has largely supported Putin’s calls for concessions from Kyiv to get a peace deal done and offer things like significant sanctions relief to the Russian side, should Putin agree to call a ceasefire.

Signalling his rapprochement with Russia was fading, the US president said: “Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years, a war that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win”.

Speaking to journalists, Peskov dismissed Trump’s remarks, saying they were influenced by his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy the same day, Vedomosti reported.

“This vision is in stark contrast to our understanding of the current state of affairs,” presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would shortly present Moscow’s position directly to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during their talks on the sidelines of the UN summit.

 

Peskov countered that “there are no paper bears,” insisting Russia’s economy was “stable, predictable, and socially oriented” despite Western sanctions and the widely reported economic problems. He said the state was fulfilling its obligations to citizens while fully meeting the needs of the armed forces.

“This war is not aimless, but is aimed at ensuring Russia’s security and interests, as well as eliminating the root causes of the conflict with Ukraine,” he said, blaming previous US and European administrations for ignoring Moscow’s security concerns.

Peskov said President Vladimir Putin “highly values Trump’s political will to promote a peaceful settlement,” but argued that Kyiv had “adopted a passive stance” to show European sponsors it could continue fighting.

“With every passing day that the Ukrainian side refuses to negotiate, its negotiating position will only worsen. This is the reality. And the dynamics on the front lines are more than eloquent proof of this,” Peskov said.

Last week, it was Peskov himself who officially announced the ceasefire talks are now on hold at the Kremlin’s instigation. Zelenskiy has said repeatedly that he is willing to meet with Putin under any conditions, but would not travel to Moscow.

Responding to Trump’s call for Nato to shoot down Russian aircraft violating allied airspace, Peskov said: “The hysteria about our military pilots allegedly violating some rules and invading someone else’s airspace is baseless and unfounded. Our military aviation complies with all flight regulations and rules, is guided by them, and adheres to them most strictly.”

The Kremlin spokesman said bilateral ties with Washington were progressing more slowly than Moscow hoped. “The blockages in our relations that have accumulated over the past decades under previous administrations are truly very serious, and they are hindering progress,” he said.

However, he noted that the current administration was “very business-oriented” and could see the “benefits of this potential bilateral trade and economic cooperation with Russia.” Russia, he added, remained open to restoring relations despite the obstacles.

Those comments play on Trump’s stated interest in doing business with Russia, but despite months of talks, including a personal meeting between the presidents at the Alaska summit on August 15, no agreements have been reached.