U.S. President Donald Trump sent two nuclear submarines to unknown critical areas in response to Dmitry Medvedev’s inflammatory comments. Medvedev is Russia’s former president and current deputy chair of its Security Council.The move symbolizes a transition from online fighting to real-life military posturing, which makes people worry about nuclear brinkmanship.
From Social Media to Submarine Manoeuvres
The confrontation began with a series of heated exchanges between Trump and Medvedev on social media. Trump, posting on Truth Social, cited “highly provocative statements” and warned that “words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences.” He said the submarines were deployed “just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.”
Medvedev had before referenced Russia’s Cold War-era “Dead Hand” nuclear strategy, a retaliatory mechanism prepared to establish nuclear weapons even if the country’s administration is incapacitated. He also teased Trump’s ultimatum for Russia to end its fight in Ukraine within 10 days or face severe embargoes.
Strategic Stakes and Veiled Threats
Trump’s order did not specify whether the submarines were nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed, nor did it reveal their locations—details typically kept secret by the U.S. military. The US and Russia have most of the world’s nuclear weapons, and both support submarines as part of their nuclear triumvirate.
Russian lawmaker Viktor Vodolatsky dismissed the move, claiming Russia has more nuclear submarines in the world’s oceans than the U.S. and that the regions Trump referred to are already under Russian surveillance. “Let the two U.S. submarines sail—they’ve been in the crosshairs for a long time now,” he remarked.
Ceasefire Demands and Civilian Toll
Trump’s ultimatum comes amid continued Russian aggression in Ukraine. An AFP analysis revealed a record number of drone attacks in July, and a recent missile strike on Kyiv killed 31 civilians, including five children. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed calls for peace talks, while Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his demands: Ukraine must cede territory and abandon its NATO ambitions.
Putin said he seeks “lasting and stable peace” but gave no indication of concessions. Talks in Istanbul last week collapsed within an hour, yielding only prisoner exchange agreements.
Rhetoric vs. Reality
Security analysts suggest Trump’s submarine deployment may be more rhetorical than operational, given that U.S. nuclear submarines are already on constant patrol. Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia in Global Affairs, said Trump’s statements should not be taken seriously—yet. “If this exchange continues, Trump may have to take real action. For now, it’s just words,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Fyodor Lukyanov, editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs magazine, stated that Trump’s statement about nuclear submarines should not be taken seriously for now.
“Trump, as we all know, has his own channel and reacts emotionally, humanely, and spontaneously.” I believe the United States’ armed and naval forces were taken aback when they read this. If this interchange of viewpoints continues, and Trump is brought into it, he will most likely be forced to take action. In my opinion, this is primarily at the verbal level,” Lukyanov told RBC TV, a local private news channel.
Earlier, in response to a media query about US State Department Secretary Marco Rubio’s recent interview with Fox News, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Russia agrees with the US government has stated that a direct military clash between Moscow and Washington should not occur.
“While Europeans are hysterically pushing for Ukraine’s NATO membership and bracing for a possible conflict with Russia, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently reaffirmed a responsible stance, explicitly stating that a direct military confrontation between the US and Russia must be avoided. We totally agree with this position. Such mutual understanding has been promoted by constructive Russian-American communication,” Lavrov stated.
Meanwhile, the Moscow Exchange index dropped nearly 1% following Trump’s announcement, reflecting market unease over the rising tensions.
