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President Donald Trump announced the deployment of two nuclear submarines in response to what he described as "highly provocative" statements made by Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian President and current deputy chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. Trump made this announcement via social media, emphasizing the importance of words and their potential consequences. He stated that the submarines would be positioned in "appropriate regions," though he did not specify their exact locations.
"Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The tension arose after Medvedev made several comments in response to Trump's ultimatum for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face severe sanctions. Medvedev accused Trump of engaging in "the ultimatum game with Russia" and warned that such ultimatums are steps towards war. In a post on X, Medvedev described Trump's ultimatum as "theatrical" and asserted that "Russia didn't care."
In a more ominous note, Medvedev referenced a "dead hand" threat on Telegram, which some analysts interpreted as a nod to Russia's nuclear retaliatory control system. This escalating rhetoric has prompted concerns about potential military confrontations between the two nations.