Former commander of US forces in Europe Ben Hodges has offered his take on why US President Donald Trump called Russia a «paper tiger» and speculated on why American generals are being summoned to the Pentagon.

Hodges suggested that military leaders will likely be informed of a shift in US strategy, possibly including cuts to troop levels and bases in Europe. He noted that the Trump administration has been signaling such moves for some time, repeatedly saying it wants to focus on defending America’s borders and the Western Hemisphere — from Greenland to Canada and the Panama Canal.

In this context, Hodges explained Trump’s comment about Russia being a «paper tiger.» He said the logic is clear: if Russia is that weak, then Ukraine and Europe can handle it on their own, which means US troops have no reason to remain stationed in Europe.

Hodges concluded that this looks very much like an attempt to pull US forces out of Europe — and called it a dangerous one.