Trump orders nuclear submarines closer to Russia "just in case"
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Putin with Medvedev in 2019. Photo: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images
President Trump said Friday that he'd ordered two nuclear submarines close to Russian waters in response to nuclear bluster from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Why it matters: Trump accused his predecessor, President Biden, of flirting with World War Three after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Now he's making nuclear threats of his own.
- It's the first military step Trump has taken, in public at least, to deter Russia since returning to the White House.
- It also comes a week before his deadline for President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine or face sanctions.
Between the lines: Medvedev now serves as deputy chair of Russia's security council, but his current international relevance is mainly tied to his occasional hyper-dramatic threats against the West.
How it happened: After Trump shortened the timeline for his ceasefire-or-sanctions ultimatum, Medvedev responded Monday by warning him that was a step towards war. He added, "Don't go down the Sleepy Joe road!"
- Trump responded in a post on Truth Social calling Medvedev a "failed former President" and warning him to "watch his words" as he's entering "dangerous territory."
- On Friday morning, Medvedev fired back with an allusion to Russia's "Dead Hand" automated strike system — which purportedly could unleash a full-scale nuclear response in the event Russia was struck first.
- Medvedev also mocked Trump, saying "if a few words from the former President of Russia can provoke such a jittery reaction from the mighty President of the United States, then Russia must be completely in the right."
What he's saying: "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," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
- He added that "words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances."
Go deeper: Witkoff to travel to Russia ahead of U.S. sanctions
