'Forcing world to buy American oil': Russia reacts to Trump's 'paper tiger' jibe; calls him a 'businessman'

Russia on Wednesday described US President Donald Trump as a businessman for his handling of global energy markets amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"Trump is a businessman, and he is trying to force world to buy American oil and gas at higher price," the Kremlin said.

The response came after Trump criticised China and India for continuing to import Russian oil. Trump had said, "China and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase Russian oil."


Trump also demanded that European allies immediately stop buying oil from Russia. "They have to immediately cease all energy purchases from Russia. Otherwise, we're all wasting a lot of time," Trump said of Europe in an address at the UN General Assembly.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump warned Russia of severe new tariffs if it did not end the war in Ukraine. He also urged European countries to stop all oil and gas purchases from Moscow.

Earlier in July, Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods despite expectations of an interim India-US trade deal. Soon after, he imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff, raising the total to 50 per cent, citing India’s continued imports of Russian oil. The tariffs took effect on August 27.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin also dismissed Trump’s description of Russia as a "paper tiger," saying the country’s economy was stable though facing some growth challenges.

"Russia maintains its macroeconomic stability," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RBC radio. "Yes, Russia is experiencing tensions and problems in various sectors of the economy." He added, as reported by Reuters, that Russia was a bear, not a tiger, and "there is no such thing as a paper bear."

Peskov said Russia had "no alternative" but to continue its offensive in Ukraine launched in 2022. "We are continuing our special military operation to ensure our interests and achieve the goals" set by President Vladimir Putin, Peskov told RBC radio, according to AFP.

"We are doing this for both the present and the future of our country. For many generations to come. Therefore, we have no alternative," he added.

On Russia-US relations, Peskov said attempts at rapprochement had achieved "close to zero" results despite recent efforts from Washington.

"This track is sluggish, very sluggish," he said. "The effectiveness there is close to zero."