US President Donald Trump on Friday said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be deployed near Russia following “dead hand” remarks by former Russian President 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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances,” he added.
The escalation came after Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, issued a warning to Trump, cautioning him about the dangers of dismissing adversaries as “dead”.
Trump on India-Russia economies
Trump, in a separate post, had attacked both India and Russia. “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India, their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together.”
Turning his attention to Medvedev, Trump added, “Tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words. He’s entering very dangerous territory!”
US tariffs on India and penalty warning for doing business with Moscow
His comments came just a day after Washington slapped 25% tariffs on India, along with penalties tied to its purchases from Russia.
Tensions between Donald Trump and Medvedev escalated this week after Trump warned Moscow it had “10 days” to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face tariffs along with its oil buyers.
Moscow has rejected Trump’s deadline, sticking to its own peace terms. Medvedev hit back, accusing Trump of playing a “game of ultimatums” and pointedly reminding him of Russia’s Soviet-era nuclear strike capabilities after Trump told him to “watch his words”.
Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Medvedev has become one of the Kremlin’s fiercest anti-Western voices.