MOSCOW: The Kremlin said Wednesday it had no choice but to continue its military offensive on Ukraine and rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that Russia was a “paper tiger.” After meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a day earlier, the US leader said Ukraine could win back every inch of its territory from Russia, which he characterised as a “paper tiger” with a failing economy.

The US leader’s comments represent a stunning turnaround from his previous call for Kyiv to concede territory to end the war.

US president makes U-turn as he says Zelensky can take the fight to ‘paper tiger’ Russia and recapture lost territory