(NewsNation) — The U.S. is moving two nuclear submarines to “appropriate regions” in response to “inflammatory” remarks by Russia’s former leader, President Donald Trump announced.
President Donald Trump made the announcement on Truth Social.
“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. Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances,” Trump wrote.
The deployment of submarines is not typically announced because they are often used for secretive missions, including surveilling the submarines of adversaries.
The U.S. has both nuclear-powered submarines and submarines capable of launching a nuclear attack. Trump did not clarify whether he would be sending subs that could launch a nuclear strike.
The inflammatory remarks were made by former Russian President and current Deputy Chair of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev.
Trump and Medvedev traded insults overnight after Trump gave Russia a 10-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or be hit with tariffs on both Russia and countries that buy its oil. Moscow has shown no signs of agreeing to meet the deadline.
But Medvedev and Trump have antagonized each other going back over the past few days, with Medvedev warning Trump that he was entering “dangerous territory” when it comes to ultimatums. Both referenced the Soviet-era “Dead Hand” system.
The semi-autonomous system was designed to launch a retaliatory nuclear attack even if the leadership was wiped out.