At Valdai Club, Putin Rejects NATO Threat Claims and Responds to Trump’s 'Paper Tiger' Remark

On Thursday, October 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the plenary session of the XXII annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club. In his wide-ranging speech, Putin reflected on the current state of Russian-Ukrainian relations, criticized Western policies, and warned that Russia would give a “very convincing response” to the militarization of European states.

Putin Calls Ukraine a Tool for the West

The Russian president described the situation as painful for both Russians and Ukrainians. He argued that the root cause of the crisis lies in the policies pursued by Western countries after the Cold War. According to him, the West pushed the world into conflicts, while Russia “never initiated” military confrontations on its own.

"They don’t care about this people. For them, the Ukrainian people are expendable material," Putin said, stressing that Western leaders treat Ukraine as a disposable instrument in their confrontation with Moscow.

He underlined that all countries, including both Russia and Ukraine, have the legitimate right to security, but insisted that regional states must have the final word in shaping their security systems.

Conflict Could Have Been Avoided

Putin asserted that the conflict would not have escalated had the United States pursued a different course. In his view, Ukraine was transformed into a NATO tool against Russia, with the war serving Western geopolitical aims and financial interests.

The Russian president added that events might have taken a different turn if Donald Trump had been in the White House instead of Joe Biden.

"It is impossible to believe that Russia intends to attack NATO. That’s nonsense. Such statements are made by people who are either incompetent or simply dishonest. One just wants to say: ‘Calm down, sleep peacefully,’" Putin said.

Putin: Russia Is Fighting NATO, Not Ukraine

Putin reiterated that Russia is not fighting Ukraine itself, but the entire NATO alliance. He described the ongoing situation as proof that Moscow is confronting not the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but a Western bloc operating under the NATO umbrella.

He also pointed to shifts in Ukrainian public consciousness, claiming that despite “years of brainwashing,” people are beginning to change their perspective.

Response to Trump’s 'Paper Tiger' Remark

Commenting on U.S. President Donald Trump’s earlier description of Russia as a “paper tiger,” Putin dismissed the characterization. He argued that if Russia is fighting the whole NATO bloc and still advancing, then the metaphor raises questions about NATO itself.

"If we are fighting the entire NATO bloc, moving forward, feeling confident — and that is called a ‘paper tiger’? Then what does NATO itself represent?" Putin asked.

The session moderator suggested gifting Trump a paper tiger toy at their next meeting. Putin declined with a smile, saying: “No, we have our own relationship, we know what to give each other.”