President Donald Trump appeared to backtrack this week after one of his sharpest insults toward Russia reignited tensions with the Kremlin. Just two days earlier, in a surprising shift, Trump praised Ukraine’s battlefield performance and suggested the country could reclaim all the land Moscow seized since the 2022 invasion.
In doing so, he dealt Vladimir Putin a striking rhetorical blow. “This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger,’” Trump said Tuesday, using a phrase that implies an enemy appears powerful but is ultimately weak.
The Kremlin reacted swiftly. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the remark, insisting “Russia is more associated with a bear.” Yet by Thursday, the president seemed to distance himself from the insult while meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Asked about the war in Ukraine, Trump told reporters: “I’m not going to ever call anybody a paper tiger, but Russia has spent millions and millions of dollars in bombs, missiles, ammunition, and lives—their lives—and they’ve gained virtually no land.” He added, “I think it’s time to stop, I really do.”
The remark came as Trump’s rhetoric toward Moscow has hardened in recent weeks. After welcoming Putin in Alaska last month, he has grown increasingly frustrated with Russia’s refusal to negotiate and its continued bombing of Ukrainian territory. Russian aircraft have also tested the boundaries of NATO airspace, alarming allies.
On Wednesday, U.S. officials reported intercepting two Russian Tu-95 long-range bombers and two Su-35 fighter jets flying in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. While the area is international airspace, it borders U.S. and Canadian territory.
In response, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) scrambled four F-16 fighter jets, along with a surveillance plane and KC-135 tankers, “to positively identify and intercept” the aircraft. Authorities stressed the flights posed no immediate threat but noted they are part of a pattern. Similar incidents in recent months have been viewed as deliberate tests of U.S. and NATO readiness.
“NORAD remains ready to employ a number of response options in defense of North America,” the command said in a statement. Trump’s evolving tone reflects the growing pressure of managing both Russia’s aggression and domestic expectations. While he once promised to end the Ukraine conflict on “day one” of his presidency, his administration is now grappling with the realities of a war that shows little sign of slowing down.