Russian authorities have struck a conciliatory note after US President Donald Trump relocated two nuclear submarines to “the appropriate regions” last week. The Kremlin said on Monday that everyone should be “very, very careful” about nuclear rhetoric and insisted that it was not looking to engage in a public argument with the POTUS. Trump revealed on Friday that he had called for the US submarines to be relocated in response to remarks from former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev about the risk of war.
“In this case, it is obvious that American submarines are already on combat duty. This is an ongoing process, that’s the first thing. But in general, of course, we would not want to get involved in such a controversy and would not want to comment on it in any way. Of course, we believe that everyone should be very, very careful with nuclear rhetoric,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
What had Trump said?
US President Donald Trump revealed on Friday that he had “ordered two nuclear submarines” to be strategically positioned near Russia. The decision was taken soon after former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issued a social media statement calling “new ultimatum” against his country “a threat and a step towards war”.
“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. Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences. I hope this will not be one of those instances,” he wrote on Truth Social
The POTUS later told reporters that the move was a bid to be “prepared” for all eventualities. CNN quoted him as saying that Medvedev had been “talking about nuclear”.
Trump deadline looms
The episode comes at a delicate moment, with Trump threatening to impose new sanctions on Russia and buyers of its oil, including India and China, unless President Vladimir Putin agrees by Friday to end the 3-1/2-year war in Ukraine. Putin said last week that peace talks had made some positive progress but that Russia had the momentum in the war, signaling no shift in his position despite the looming deadline. Trump has said he may send his envoy Steve Witkoff to Russia on Wednesday or Thursday. Witkoff has held long conversations with Putin on several previous visits but failed to persuade him to agree to a ceasefire.
(With inputs from agencies)