Putin Hits Back At Trump's New Criticisms Of Russia With A Classic Playground Insult

Russian President Vladimir Putin answers questions during a meeting with foreign policy experts at the Valdai Discussion Club in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. Vladimir Putin seems to have resorted to childish tactics to hit back at Donald Trump after the US president turned on Russia last week.Until recently, Trump tried repeatedly to force Moscow to end its war in Ukraine through flattery, even offering up a peace deal on Putin’s terms – and suggesting Ukraine should give up its sovereign land.But, after months of failed attempts at negotiations, Trump blasted Russia and unexpectedly claimed Ukraine could win the conflict instead.The US president even called Russia a “paper tiger” – a seemingly powerful entity who is actually ineffective – last week.Now Putin has responded by simply turning the insult back on Nato, and insisting the defence alliance is the real “paper tiger.”Speaking on Thursday, he said: “A paper tiger. What follows then? Go and deal with this paper tiger.“Well, if we are fighting with the entire Nato bloc, we are moving, advancing, and we feel confident, and we are a ‘paper tiger’, then what is Nato itself?”According to Reuters news agency, he insisted his forces were advancing along the entire warfront in Ukraine – and alleged that almost all of the US-led Nato alliance was now fighting against Moscow.He also issued a stern warning to the US over the possibility that Trump might give Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, something the White House is yet to confirm.Putin claimed: “It is impossible to use Tomahawks without the direct participation of American military personnel.“This will mean a completely new, qualitatively new stage of escalation, including in relations between Russia and the United States.”But Putin had a flippant response to European claims he had launched drone incursions over Poland and fighter jets over Estonia. He said: “I won’t do it anymore – to France, Denmark, Copenhagen, Lisbon – wherever they could reach.”He claimed the most recent accusations that Russian drones had flown over Denmark were parts of Nato efforts to “inflame tensions to boost defence spending”.Europe is taking these provocations much more seriously, though.Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said “this is war” on Thursday, and called on Nato to abandon “illusions” and confront a “new type of war”.The EU has also launched a drone wall initiative to boost its eastern flanks amid fears Putin is testing the bloc’s defences.But Putin still insisted alleged plans of Russia trying to attack a Nato member were “impossible to believe” on Thursday.“I just want to say: cool down, sleep calmly, and take care of your own problems. Just take a look at what’s happening on the streets of European cities,” he claimed.But – in typical Kremlin fashion – he added: “If anyone still has a desire to compete with us in the military sphere, as we say, feel free, let them try. Russia’s countermeasures will not be long in coming.Putin often falsely portrays his Ukraine invasion as something he was forced into by Nato’s expansion eastwards, rather than the land grab the West believes it to be.Related...Putin Is Conducting Yet Another Election Interference Campaign, UK Says'Deeply Mistaken': Putin's Allies Jump Furiously To His Defence After Trump's U-Turn On Russia

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