'Words are very important,' — Trump orders nuclear submarines deployed after Medvedev's threats
U.S. President Donald Trump said on August 1 he has ordered two nuclear submarines to be deployed to "appropriate regions" in response to what he called "foolish and inflammatory" nuclear threats from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Known for his aggressive rhetoric, Medvedev has repeatedly threatened nuclear escalation and echoed Kremlin propaganda portraying Russia as the victim of Western aggression.
"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 on Truth Social. "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," he added.
The move comes amid escalating rhetoric between the two nuclear powers, triggered by Trump’s ultimatum to Russia to halt its full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Aug. 8 or face new "severe" tariffs.
Medvedev responded on July 28 by warning that Trump's pressure campaign is a step towards war "not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country."
Trump earlier accused Medvedev of "entering very dangerous territory," calling him a "failed former president" and warning him to "watch his words."
"Let's keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former president of Russia, who thinks he’s still president, to watch his words,” Trump wrote in a separate Truth Social post on July 31.
Following Trump’s remarks, Medvedev mocked the U.S. president on social media, referencing The Walking Dead and the Cold War-era "Dead Hand" — a Soviet automated nuclear retaliation system.
In response to Trump's remarks, Medvedev said that if his words provoked such a "nervous reaction," it meant "Russia is right about everything and will continue to go its way."
Trump has threatened to impose 100% secondary tariffs on Russian oil unless Russia's President Vladimir Putin agrees to a peace deal by Aug. 8. On July 31, senior U.S. diplomat John Kelley told the United Nations Security Council that the United States is prepared to implement "additional measures to secure peace."
