Putin's press chief rejects Trump's "paper tiger" label for Russia

Russia is not a "paper tiger" and is more associated with a bear, Russian President's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated in an interview with RBC.

“There is no such thing as a ‘paper bear,’ and Russia is a real bear,” he added, commenting on US President Donald Trump’s description of Russia as a ‘paper tiger,’ TASS reports

Peskov went on to say that Russian President Vladimir Putin remains ready to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but without proper preparation, such a meeting would be “a PR stunt doomed to fail.”

“Putin has clearly stated his position. He said he is ready for a meeting. However, he clarified that it makes sense to meet only after the sides have done their ‘homework’ and expert-level preparations have been carried out. Meeting without preparation would likely be a PR stunt, doomed to fail,” the Kremlin spokesperson added.

By Khagan Isayev