On paper, there was plenty in Donald Trump's comments to rile the Kremlin. For starters, his description of Russia as a paper tiger that had been fighting aimlessly in Ukraine. Moscow won't like that.
I remember when President Barack Obama described Russia as a regional power, as opposed to a global one: that was taken as a big insult here.
President Trump's suggestion that Ukraine could win back all the territory Russia had seized will have raised eyebrows, too, in Moscow. And Russian eyebrows will have shot up even higher after Trump's reply to a reporter's question.
Do you think that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace? the reporter asked. Yes, I do, replied Trump.
Yet the Kremlin's initial response to all of this has been rather restrained. Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov gently brushed aside the paper tiger insult. Russia's in no way a tiger, Mr Peskov said. It's more associated with a bear. And there is no such thing as a paper bear.
What of the suggestion that Kyiv could retake lost territory? The assertion that Ukraine can win back something by fighting is mistaken, Peskov stated.
In a Kremlin conference call, I asked Dmitry Peskov for his reaction to Trump's comments. He replied, Russia, in general, and President Putin in particular value highly President Trump's political will to continue working towards a peace settlement. Very diplomatic.
Today's edition of the Izvestiya newspaper suggests one reason for this restrained response. It's important to remember that Trump is influenced by the last person he has spoken to, it noted, pointing to Volodymyr Zelensky as a significant influence on Trump's views.
Moreover, Trump's comments did not include threats of increased sanctions or deadlines for Russia, which could explain why Moscow feels little pressure to react aggressively. Peskov stated that they look forward to conveying Russia's position to the American side during ongoing meetings at the UN.
However, while Trump expressed a willingness to shoot down Russian aircraft, the Kremlin denied any accusations against its military pilots violating airspace rules.
Meanwhile, Trump's observations on Russia's economy being in dire trouble were also dismissed by the Kremlin, despite signs of strain under ongoing sanctions and spending related to the conflict in Ukraine.
As the conflict persists, and with Trump's remarks underscoring both challenges and opportunities in U.S.-Russia relations, it remains to be seen how the situation will evolve in the coming weeks.
