President Donald Trump Friday ordered two U.S. nuclear submarines to reposition near Russia following what he called “highly provocative” remarks from Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council.
The former Russian president had recently issued sharp criticism of Trump’s ceasefire demands in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
In a statement released on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump revealed that he took the step as a precautionary measure, warning that rhetoric from Russian leadership was becoming increasingly dangerous.
“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,” Trump wrote. “Just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.”
While Trump did not provide specific details on the submarines’ destinations, military analysts suggest their deployment is likely to send a message of deterrence to Moscow amid escalating tensions.
Trump emphasized the power of language in his statement: “Words are very important and can often lead to unintended consequences. I hope this will not be one of those instances.”