US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that he has ordered two nuclear submarines to be deployed to “appropriate regions” in response to what he called provocative and inflammatory statements by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council.
In a post on social media platform X, Trump said: “Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev… 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. Words are very important and can often lead to unintended consequences. I hope this will not be one of those instances.”
While Trump did not specify whether the submarines were nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed, nor where they would be deployed, his statement has stirred international attention. France 24 reported that Trump also did not directly quote or refer to the specific comments made by Medvedev.
Earlier the same day, Trump had publicly rebuked Medvedev, telling him to “watch his words” after the Russian official criticized Trump’s foreign policy, according to The Hill.
In a separate post on Truth Social, Trump addressed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, describing it as “Biden’s War” and reiterated his aim to end the fighting.
“I have just been informed that almost 20,000 Russian soldiers died this month in the ridiculous war with Ukraine… Russia has lost 112,500 soldiers since the beginning of the year. Ukraine… has lost approximately 8,000 soldiers since January 1, 2025. This is a war that should have never happened — This is Biden’s War, not TRUMP’s. I’m just here to see if I can stop it!” he wrote.
Since returning to office in January, Trump’s administration has unsuccessfully pushed for a ceasefire, despite multiple rounds of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. He has expressed frustration with both sides over the prolonged nature of the war and lack of diplomatic progress.
The deployment order and Trump’s remarks signal growing tensions between the US and Russia, as well as a potential escalation in the geopolitical rhetoric surrounding the Ukraine conflict.
