President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that two U.S. nuclear submarines have been deployed "in the region" near Russia, following a sharp exchange with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The move comes amid growing nuclear rhetoric between Washington and Moscow and heightened tensions over the war in Ukraine.
"I've already put out a statement, and the answer is, they are in the region, yeah, where they have to be," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington. His remarks reaffirmed a Truth Social post made Friday, in which he cited "highly provocative statements" by Medvedev, now the Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, as the reason for the deployment.
"Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, 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. "Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences. I hope this will not be one of those instances."
On Thursday, Trump issued a pointed warning to Medvedev, stating: "Let's keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he's still President, to watch his words. He's entering very dangerous territory!"
Russia responded on Monday through Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who downplayed the significance of Trump's announcement. "In this case, it is obvious that American submarines are already on combat duty. This is an ongoing process," Peskov said, adding, "Of course, we believe that everyone should be very, very careful with nuclear rhetoric."
Peskov rejected suggestions that Trump's statements amounted to an escalation. "We do not believe that we are talking about any escalation now," he told reporters. "It is clear that very complex, very sensitive issues are being discussed, which, of course, are perceived very emotionally by many people."
When asked whether the Kremlin had advised Medvedev to tone down his rhetoric, Peskov avoided a direct answer. "There are people who are very, very tough-minded in the United States of America and in European countries, so this is always the case," he said. He emphasized that foreign policy is ultimately decided by President Vladimir Putin, noting, "The main thing, of course, is the position of President Putin."
Trump also confirmed that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, would travel to Russia in the coming days ahead of potential new sanctions targeting Moscow.
