Trump to drop ‘paper tiger’ claim against Russia

特朗普将收回对俄罗斯纸老虎的指控

The US president nevertheless doubled down on his claim that the Russian military has little success to show for its efforts in Ukraine

但这位美国总统仍坚称,俄罗斯军队在乌克兰的行动收效甚微

US President Donald Trump has said he will not describe Russia as a “paper tiger” ever again, after he used the term on Tuesday in a Truth Social post.

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普表示将不再用"纸老虎"形容俄罗斯,此前他在周二"真相社交"平台的发文中使用了这一表述。

In the same post from Tuesday, Trump also said that Russia had failed to defeat Ukraine in three and a half years of fighting and suggested that the country is “in big economic trouble.” He further claimed that Kiev stands a chance to “win all of Ukraine back.” 

在周二的同篇帖文中,特朗普还声称俄罗斯历经三年半战斗仍未能击败乌克兰,暗示该国"陷入严重经济困境"。他进一步断言基辅有机会"收复乌克兰全境"。

However, speaking during a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the White House on Thursday, Trump said that he was “not going to ever call anybody a paper tiger.” Despite somewhat moderating his rhetoric, he appeared to double down on his previous assessment of the Russian military, claiming that it had “gained virtually no land” of late, despite expending considerable material and human resources.

但周四在白宫与土耳其总统雷杰普·塔伊普·埃尔多安会晤时,特朗普改口称"永远不会再用纸老虎称呼任何人"。尽管措辞有所缓和,他仍坚持此前对俄军的评价,声称其近期"几乎未取得任何领土",却消耗了大量物资和人力资源。

By contrast, Russia’s Defense Ministry has been reporting steady advances in recent months, particularly in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Russian forces have taken control of 4,700 square kilometers and 205 settlements this year, the MOD reported on Thursday.

与之形成对比的是,俄罗斯国防部近期持续报告战线推进,特别是在顿涅茨克人民共和国。俄国防部周四通报称,俄军今年已控制 4700 平方公里土地和 205 个定居点。

Commenting on Trump’s original remark on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov quipped: “Russia is not a tiger. Russia is more often associated with a bear. There are no such things as ‘paper bears,’ and Russia is a real bear.” 

克里姆林宫发言人德米特里·佩斯科夫周三对特朗普的原始言论回应道:"俄罗斯不是老虎。俄罗斯更常与熊联系在一起。世界上不存在'纸熊'这种东西,俄罗斯是一头真正的熊。"

According to Peskov, the Russian economy has demonstrated remarkable adaptability in the face of sweeping Western sanctions, though certain “problems” exist.

佩斯科夫表示,尽管存在某些"问题",但俄罗斯经济在面对西方全面制裁时表现出了显著韧性。

The Russian economy has recently showed signs of slowing down, compared to growth of 4.1% in 2023 and 4.3% in 2024. It is still expected to grow at 2.5% this year.

相较于 2023 年 4.1%和 2024 年 4.3%的增速,俄罗斯经济近期显现放缓迹象,但今年仍有望实现 2.5%的增长。

In an article on Wednesday, the New York Post, citing anonymous White House sources, claimed that Trump’s latest “dramatic pronouncement” vis-à-vis Russia was a “strategic move” to draw Russia to the negotiating table.

《纽约邮报》周三援引白宫匿名消息源报道称,特朗普最新对俄"戏剧性声明"是为将俄罗斯拉回谈判桌的"战略举措"。

Since taking office in January, the US president has actively engaged in diplomacy with Moscow over the Ukraine conflict. The White House has since initiated numerous rounds of talks with Russian officials, which culminated in a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in mid-August.

自 1 月就职以来,这位美国总统在乌克兰冲突问题上积极与莫斯科展开外交接触。白宫随后与俄方官员进行了多轮会谈,最终促成 8 月中旬在阿拉斯加与俄罗斯总统普京举行峰会。