President Donald Trump has ordered nuclear submarines to be positioned near Russia in response to escalating threats from Moscow.
Amid growing tensions over the Ukraine war, Trump and Russia’s former president Dmitry Medvedev traded blows this week, resulting in Medvedev likening Trump to “Sleepy Joe” Biden and warning that Russia had Soviet-era nuclear strike capabilities.
In response to the latest threat, Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday: “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.
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“Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Medvedev is an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has become one of Moscow’s most vocal anti-West hawks since the war with Ukraine began in 2022.
The tit-for-tat feud exploded this week after Trump warned Russia it had “10 days from today” to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or be hit with tariffs, along with its oil buyers.
After Medvedev rejected this, Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday morning, telling him to “watch his words” and warning he was “entering very dangerous territory.”
The former Russian president responded a few hours later, invoking a Cold War-era nuclear command system known as “The Dead Hand”.
“Let him remember his favorite movies about ‘The Walking Dead,’ as well as how dangerous the non-existent in nature ‘Dead Hand’ can be,” Medvedev said.
He also humiliated Trump by likening him to his predecessor, telling the U.S president: “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!”
But it was the suggestion of using nuclear weapons as a last resort that marked a notable rhetorical turn for the U.S. and Russia.
While Trump has traditionally admired Putin’s strongman persona, he has become increasingly frustrated in recent months over Russia’s refusal to negotiate a ceasefire with Ukraine.
He had originally given Putin a 50-day deadline, but this week accelerated that deadline to 10 days.
“I think it’s disgusting what they’re doing,” Trump said on Thursday night, seemingly in reference to Russia’s ongoing bombardment of Ukraine.
