President Donald Trump said on Friday that he ordered two U.S. nuclear submarines “to be positioned in the appropriate regions” in response to “highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev.”
“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,” 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Medvedev, who is currently serving as Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, said earlier this week that Trump’s ultimatums to Russia were “a step towards war.”
Trump has been pushing Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine. Earlier this week, the president shortened a 50-day deadline that he gave to Putin two weeks ago to secure peace, now giving Moscow until August 9 at the latest. Trump has blasted Putin for launching attacks on Ukraine after appearing to make progress toward a peace deal. He has also told Medvedev, who operates as Putin’s attack dog, to “watch his words,” adding, “He’s entering very dangerous territory!”
Medvedev has mocked Trump’s ultimatums, writing in a July 15 social media post, “Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn’t care.”
Trump threatened to impose secondary tariffs on Russia, punishing countries that continue to buy Russian oil. On Wednesday, Trump said that he was slapping a 25% tariff on India as a “penalty” for purchasing Russian military equipment and energy.
This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates.
