US President Donald Trump said Friday he has ordered two nuclear submarines to reposition in response to comments by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, escalating tensions between Washington and Moscow.
In a post on social media, Trump described Medvedev’s remarks as “foolish and inflammatory,” adding: “Words are very important and can often lead to unintended consequences. I hope this will not be one of those instances.”
Trump later told reporters the move was precautionary. “We had to do that. A threat was made, and we didn’t think it was appropriate to ignore,” he said. “When you talk about nuclear, we have to be prepared — and we’re totally prepared.”
According to Reuters, the White House declined to clarify whether Trump’s reference was to nuclear-armed or nuclear-powered submarines. The Pentagon also offered no further comment, directing inquiries to the National Security Council. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth shared Trump’s post without elaboration.
Read Also: Trump fires US Labour Statistics chief after weak jobs report
Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, had posted on social media on July 28 that “each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war… not with Ukraine, but with [Trump’s] own country.” Trump responded Thursday by calling Medvedev a “failed” former leader who is “entering very dangerous territory.”
The exchange comes amid a broader hardening of the Trump administration’s rhetoric on Russia. Trump has signalled new sanctions could come as early as August 8 if Russia does not halt its war in Ukraine. He also criticised India — a major buyer of Russian crude — in the same social media post.
Meanwhile, markets initially reacted to rising geopolitical tensions. West Texas Intermediate crude fell as much as 3.2% on weak US economic data, before rebounding slightly after Trump’s remarks.
