WASHINGTON — President Trump said Friday he had ordered two nuclear submarines moved closer to Russia in response to “highly provocative statements” by a top Kremlin official.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, had taunted Trump directly in a recent post on X, saying “each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war.”
“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, without revealing the location of the vessels
“Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances,” he added.
Trump had threatened Russia with secondary sanctions if Moscow does not stop its ongoing war on Ukraine by Aug. 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.”
“Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!” Medvedev mocked.
The former Russian president often makes aggressive remarks on social media and is less diplomatic toward the US than Putin in his public comments.