What’s Behind Trump’s “Paper Tiger” Comment on Russia?

Tensions between Washington and Moscow flared again after President Donald Trump described Russia as a “paper tiger,” a phrase loaded with historical meaning.

Borrowed from Chinese leader Mao Zedong’s 1946 description of America’s atomic bomb — a weapon he claimed appeared terrifying but was fundamentally fragile — the expression implies that Russia’s military power may be overstated despite its ongoing war efforts.

The remark immediately provoked a sharp response from President Vladimir Putin, who dismissed NATO’s strength in return, escalating the war of words between the two leaders.

Trump’s comment also revived a Cold War-era propaganda term long used by China to portray Western powers as powerful in appearance but weak in essence.

As the phrase resurfaces on the world stage, it underscores growing fractures between global powers and the revival of ideological language once thought confined to history.