President Donald Trump announced Friday that he has ordered two nuclear-armed submarines to a “region” in response to provocative comments made by a senior Kremlin official in Russia.
Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and current deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, warned on Monday that “each new ultimatum” from Trump aimed at ending the war in Ukraine “is a threat and a step toward war.”
That led Trump to respond on Truth Social: “Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that. Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.”
Trump did not clarify whether a specific comment from Medvedev triggered the move, as the Kremlin official has been issuing anti-American rhetoric for weeks. He also did not specify whether the submarines in question are nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed.Because submarine deployments are typically classified, it’s unlikely the public will know the vessels’ exact location—or whether they’ve been moved at all. The Pentagon redirected inquiries to the White House, which declined to comment on the record, the New York Post reported.
This marks the first time Trump has openly hinted at invoking the nuclear option in his standoff with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who continues to defy U.S. warnings over the ongoing war in Ukraine. In his latest warning, President Trump threatened to impose secondary sanctions on Russia if Moscow does not halt its ongoing war in Ukraine by August 8.
Medvedev wrote in his post that Trump “should remember two things” as he issues his threats on Moscow — that “Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran” and that “each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country.” He added: “Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!” in reference to Trump’s nickname ofr former President Joe Biden.