President Donald Trump issued a rare and pointed warning of nuclear escalation on Friday, announcing he had directed the repositioning of two nuclear submarines in response to what he described as inflammatory comments by Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and current deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council.
“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 posted on Truth Social.
Speaking later with reporters, Trump said the decision was intended as a readiness measure.
“He was talking about nuclear,” Trump said. “When you talk about nuclear, we have to be prepared, and we’re totally prepared.”
It remains unclear whether Trump was referring to submarines armed with nuclear weapons or those that are simply nuclear-powered. The Pentagon typically keeps the movement of such assets confidential, making independent verification of Trump’s statement difficult.
Nonetheless, Trump’s comments marked a dramatic escalation in rhetoric, reminiscent of the Cold War’s nuclear brinkmanship.
Later on Friday, Trump confirmed that the submarines were moved “closer to Russia.”
“We always want to be ready, and so I have sent to the region two nuclear submarines. I just want to make sure that his words are only words and nothing more than that,” he said in an interview with Newsmax.
The exchange follows several days of online sparring between Trump and Medvedev. On Thursday, Medvedev referenced Russia’s Soviet-era automated nuclear response systems, prompting Trump to warn him to “watch his words.”
While Medvedev holds no direct authority over Russia’s nuclear arsenal and is generally viewed as a combative mouthpiece rather than a central policymaker, Trump has chosen to respond forcefully as he continues to weigh in on the conflict in Ukraine.
Trump reiterated Thursday that he planned to introduce new sanctions on Moscow and condemned Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine as “disgusting.” In a prior social media message, he asserted that the war in Ukraine “should have never happened.”
He also said his foreign envoy, Steve Witkoff, would be traveling to Russia soon, though further details about the visit were not disclosed.
“This is Biden’s War, not ‘TRUMP’s.’ I’m just here to see if I can stop it!” Trump wrote
