Trump orders nuclear submarines closer to Russia in escalating war of words

United States President Donald Trump has ordered 2 atomic submarines to question person to Russia, successful his latest tit-for-tat with Russian person Dmitry Medvedev.

On Friday, Trump posted connected his level Truth Social that the submarine movements came successful effect to the “highly provocative statements” Medvedev, a erstwhile Russian president, made this week.

A time earlier, Medvedev had warned that Trump should beryllium mindful of “how unsafe the fabled ‘Dead Hand’ tin be”, a notation to Russia’s Cold War-era atomic weapons system.

“I person ordered 2 Nuclear Submarines to beryllium positioned successful the due regions, conscionable successful lawsuit these foolish and inflammatory statements are much than conscionable that,” Trump wrote.

“Words are precise important, and tin often pb to unintended consequences, I anticipation this volition not beryllium 1 of those instances.”

In caller weeks, Trump has been enmeshed successful an escalating warfare of words with Medvedev, who presently serves arsenic the lawman president of Russia’s Security Council nether existent President Vladimir Putin.

Medvedev and Putin person a adjacent relationship: When Medvedev served arsenic president from 2008 to 2012, Putin was his premier minister. Afterwards, erstwhile Putin returned to the presidency, Medvedev served arsenic his premier curate from 2012 to 2020.

But arsenic Trump voices expanding vexation with Russia’s ongoing penetration of Ukraine, helium has progressively singled retired Medvedev, a noted warfare hawk, arsenic a people for his anger. Both men person hinted astatine their countries’ atomic capabilities, and their nationalist exchanges person grown progressively tense.

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, right, shakes hands with Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith connected July 30 [Ekaterina Shtukina/Sputnik Pool Photo via AP]

A warfare of words

In a societal media post earlier this week, Trump pivoted from a treatment of commercialized betwixt India and Russia to an onslaught connected Medvedev for his sabre-rattling remarks.

“I don’t attraction what India does with Russia. They tin instrumentality their dormant economies down together, for each I care,” Trump wrote.

“Russia and the USA bash astir nary concern together. Let’s support it that way, and archer Medvedev, the failed erstwhile President of Russia, who thinks he’s inactive President, to ticker his words. He’s entering precise unsafe territory!”

Medvedev, meanwhile, has appeared to relish however his words provoke the US president.

“If immoderate words from the erstwhile president of Russia trigger specified a tense absorption from the high-and-mighty president of the United States, past Russia is doing everything close and volition proceed to proceed on its ain path,” Medvedev responded successful a post connected Telegram.

Medvedev past proceeded to notation the zombie apocalypse bid The Walking Dead, successful an evident motion to the devastation Russia has the powerfulness to cause.

“And arsenic for the ‘dead economy’ of India and Russia and ‘entering unsafe territory’ — well, fto Trump retrieve his favourite films astir the ‘Walking Dead’.”

This week is not the archetypal clip Trump and Medvedev person taken their beef online. In precocious June, the 2 men likewise sparred and flexed their atomic arsenals.

“Did I perceive Former President Medvedev, from Russia, casually throwing astir the ‘N word’ (Nuclear!), and saying that helium and different Countries would proviso Nuclear Warheads to Iran?” Trump wrote connected June 23.

He past pointed to the recent US onslaught connected Iran arsenic an illustration of however the state mightiness respond to different threats.

“If anyone thinks our ‘hardware’ was large implicit the weekend, acold and distant the strongest and champion instrumentality we have, 20 years precocious implicit the pack, is our Nuclear Submarines,” Trump wrote. “They are the astir almighty and lethal weapons ever built.”

He besides took a jab astatine Medvedev’s presumption nether Putin, suggesting that Medvedev’s threats were irresponsible.

“I conjecture that’s wherefore Putin’s ‘THE BOSS’,” Trump quipped.

Frustrations implicit Ukraine war

The high-stakes back-and-forth comes arsenic Trump becomes progressively frustrated with the deficiency of advancement towards bid successful Ukraine.

Since February 2022, a slow-grinding warfare has unfolded successful the country, arsenic Ukraine attempts to repel a full-scale penetration from Russia.

Trump entered his 2nd word arsenic president pledging to beryllium a planetary “peacemaker and unifier”, and his medication has openly advocated for the Republican person to person the Nobel Peace Prize.

But his efforts to resoluteness the quality betwixt Ukraine and Russia have stalled.

Early successful his 2nd term, Trump himself faced criticism for appearing to undermine Ukraine’s cause, accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being a “dictator” and appearing to connection Russia concessions, including annexed Ukrainian territory.

By contrast, Trump initially took a lukewarm attack to Putin, telling Zelenskyy successful a fiery Oval Office meeting, “Putin went done a hellhole of a batch with me.”

But successful caller months, that narration appears to person cooled, with Trump threatening Russia with sanctions arsenic the warfare grinds on. On July 28, helium announced that Russia would person “10 oregon 12 days” to halt its offensive, oregon other the economical penalties would instrumentality effect.

Then, connected Thursday, arsenic Russia shelled the Ukrainian superior Kyiv, Trump slammed its continued subject action.

“Russia — I deliberation it’s disgusting what they’re doing. I deliberation it’s disgusting,” helium said.

But Medvedev has antecedently described Trump’s deadlines arsenic “theatrical” and said that “Russia didn’t care” astir the threats. He besides warned that Trump’s assertive overseas argumentation stance whitethorn backfire with his “America First” base.

“Trump’s playing the ultimatum crippled with Russia,” Medvedev wrote connected the societal media level X earlier this week.

“He should retrieve 2 things: 1. Russia isn’t Israel oregon adjacent Iran. 2. Each caller ultimatum is simply a menace and a measurement towards war. Not betwixt Russia and Ukraine, but with his ain country.”