Former Verkhovna Rada deputy Oleg Tsarev commented on U. S. President Donald Trump’s anti-Russian remarks at the UN General Assembly. Tsarev argued that Trump’s primary goal for the next month is passing the federal budget, and therefore his sharp rhetoric toward Russia should not be taken too seriously.

He noted that Trump currently has no more pressing task than getting the budget approved, and that this process will be used to pressure him on multiple issues — from transgender policies and migrant healthcare funding to allocating money for Ukraine. According to Tsarev, Trump does not want to agree to any of these demands. He suggested that while Trump’s statements about Russia may sound tough, they do not necessarily translate into action, pointing out that in the past Trump has made many harsh remarks about Moscow without following through.

Tsarev described Trump’s UN address as essentially a message to political opponents: «leave me alone for a month.» The most significant part of Trump’s remarks, he added, was that he appeared to suggest that Europe and Ukraine should handle the confrontation with Russia on their own, describing Moscow as a «paper tiger.»

Tsarev warned that this «on their own» message is the most alarming element, because it implies actions rather than words — something he called particularly troubling for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.