Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Medvedev’s ‘Provocative’ Remarks

New York: Amid rising tensions with Russia, U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned at “appropriate” strategic points in response to what he called “highly provocative” statements by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Taking to his platform Truth Social, Trump wrote:
“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—just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.”

He added, “Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences. I hope this will not be one of those instances.”
Trump did not disclose the specific locations or identities of the submarines.

The conflict escalated earlier this week when Medvedev posted in English on X (formerly Twitter) that Trump's latest ceasefire ultimatum was a threat and “a step towards war” between the U.S. and Russia. Medvedev’s remarks came in response to Trump’s revised 10-day deadline (down from 50 days) for Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine. The deadline ends next week.

Trump had warned that if Moscow failed to comply, he would impose harsh new sanctions, including secondary sanctions on countries buying Russian energy—specifically naming India. “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care,” Trump said on Truth Social Thursday, just before formalizing a 25% tariff on Indian imports.

In the same post, Trump also lashed out at Medvedev: “Let’s tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words. He’s entering very dangerous territory.”

Medvedev then took to his Telegram channel—this time in Russian—and issued a veiled nuclear warning in response to Trump’s “dead economy” remark. A translated excerpt read:
“As for the 'dead economy' of India and Russia and ‘entering dangerous territory’—well, let him remember his favorite films about the ‘Walking Dead’, and how dangerous a ‘Dead Hand’ that does not exist in nature can be.”

The “Dead Hand” was a Cold War-era Soviet automatic nuclear retaliation system designed to launch missiles if Moscow’s leadership was destroyed—its modern status remains unclear. The nuclear reference is widely believed to have triggered Trump’s aggressive response.

Observers are comparing the current face-off to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, when the U.S. forced the Soviet Union to withdraw nuclear missiles from Cuba. But unlike that standoff—conducted near a fixed island—Trump’s use of submarines introduces unpredictable mobility and increased tension.

In another earlier post, Medvedev mocked Trump’s punitive tariff threats against BRICS nations, writing: “BRICS is gaining authority. Trump announced that an additional 10 per cent tariff would be imposed on any country that supports the BRICS policy. So, we’re doing everything right!”

The escalating rhetoric and nuclear posturing mark a dangerous shift from online feuds to real-world geopolitical risks.

With inputs from IANS