Trump orders nuclear submarine moves after social media spat with former Russian president

In response to Russia’s former president Dmitry Medvedev’s extremely aggressive remarks, President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he is ordering the relocation of two American nuclear submarines as a warning to the country.

Trump said on his social media platform that he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be placed in the proper areas in response to Medvedev’s extremely aggressive remarks, just in case these stupid and divisive remarks are more than that.

“Words have a lot of power and can have unexpected consequences. I hope this isn’t one of those times,” the president continued.

Trump’s directive comes at a sensitive time in the Trump administration’s relationship with Moscow, but it was not immediately apparent how it would affect the U.S. nuclear submarines, which are regularly on patrol in hotspots throughout the world.

Trump has threatened to impose further economic sanctions if Moscow does not agree to a truce in its war with Ukraine, and he has stated that special envoy Steve Witkoff is traveling to Russia to do just that. With that window expiring next week, he shortened his 50-day deadline for action to 10 days.

The sub repositioning post followed Trump’s early Thursday morning remark in which he called Medvedev a failing former Russian president and cautioned him to be careful with his language. Hours later, Medvedev wrote back that Russia is correct in every manner and will keep doing things its own way.

While Putin was prohibited from running for a second straight term, he resigned to allow Medvedev to run for president from 2008 to 2012. In contrast to his president, when he was viewed as liberal and progressive, Medvedev has been recognized for his confrontational and incendiary remarks since the beginning of the war in 2022. He is currently the deputy head of Russia’s National Security Council, which Putin chairs.

He has regularly insulted Western leaders on social media and threatened them with nuclear weapons. According to some analysts, Medvedev’s ostentatious rhetoric is an attempt to curry favor with Putin and Russian military hawks.

There have already been internet arguments between Trump and Medvedev.

Trump gave the Kremlin a dramatic ultimatum on July 15 after announcing intentions to provide Ukraine with more weapons through its NATO allies and threatening further tariffs against Moscow, Medvedev said. The entire planet trembled, anticipating the repercussions. Europe, belligerent, was let down. Russia didn’t give a damn.

Trump is playing the ultimatum game with Russia, he wrote earlier this week: In addition to the 50 or 10 days, he should keep in mind two things: 1. Russia is not Iran or Israel. 2. Every new demand is a step closer to war and a threat. With his own nation, not between Russia and Ukraine.

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This article was written by Dasha Litvinova of the Associated Press in Tallinn, Estonia.

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