Trump ordered the repositioning of nuclear submarines after provocative Russian statements

(Patria) - US President Donald Trump says he has ordered two nuclear submarines to be placed in "appropriate regions" in response to statements by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

"Based on the very provocative statements by former Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev...
I have ordered that two nuclear submarines be placed in appropriate regions, in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than that," Trump said in a social media post, Reuters reported.

He added: "Words are very important and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those cases."

He did not specify what he meant by "nuclear submarines." Submarines can be nuclear-powered or armed with nuclear missiles.

It is extremely rare for the US military to discuss the deployment and location of US submarines given their sensitive nuclear deterrence mission.

Trump and Medvedev, who is the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, exchanged provocations after Trump said on Tuesday that Russia has "ten days from today" to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or it will be hit with tariffs, along with its oil buyers.

Medvedev said on Thursday that Trump should remember that Moscow possesses Soviet nuclear strike capabilities as a last resort, after Trump told Medvedev to "watch his words".

Moscow, which has set its own terms for peace in Ukraine, has given no indication that it will adhere to Trump's August 8 deadline.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Moscow hopes for further peace talks with Ukraine, but that the momentum of the war is in its favor. He did not mention a deadline.

Trump, who has praised good relations with Putin in the past, has expressed increasing frustration with the Russian leader, accusing him of "nonsense" and describing Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine as disgusting.

Medvedev has emerged as one of the Kremlin's loudest anti-Western hawks since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022. Kremlin critics mock him as an irresponsible and unserious man, although some Western diplomats say his statements illustrate the thinking in the high circles of Kremlin policymakers.

Trump also rebuked Medvedev in July, accusing him of throwing around the "N (nuclear) word" after criticizing US attacks on Iran by saying that a "number of countries" are ready to supply Iran with nuclear warheads. "I guess that's why Putin's 'BOSS'," Trump said at the time.

Only six countries use nuclear-powered submarines: the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, France, and India.

The US Navy has 71 submarines in service, including 53 attack submarines, 14 ballistic missile submarines, and four guided-missile submarines. All are nuclear-powered, but only some carry nuclear warheads.