WASHINGTON, USA — In a dramatic escalation of rhetoric between Washington and Moscow, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday, August 1, 2025, that he has ordered two nuclear submarines to “appropriate regions” following what he described as “highly provocative” comments from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
The U.S. leader’s statement—made in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social—comes in response to remarks from Medvedev invoking Russia’s Cold War-era nuclear strike capabilities, including a reference to the infamous “Dead Hand” system, an automatic retaliatory launch mechanism.
Medvedev, who now serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, issued his comments earlier this week in response to Trump’s revised ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin: broker a peace deal with Ukraine within two weeks or face sweeping secondary tariffs on Russia’s trade allies.
“Each new ultimatum that Trump makes about Russia is a threat and a step towards war,” Medvedev said, mocking Trump’s self-imposed diplomatic deadline.
Doubling down, the former Russian leader compared Trump to “Sleepy Joe,” a nickname Trump often uses to deride former U.S. President Joe Biden, and challenged the American president’s credibility on nuclear deterrence.
“Let him recall his favourite movies about the ‘walking dead,’ as well as how dangerous the supposedly non-existent ‘Dead Hand’ can be,” Medvedev added, referring to Russia’s automatic nuclear retaliation system.
In his Friday, August 1, 2025 post, Trump said he had taken the threat seriously and authorised the deployment of nuclear assets.
“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,” the president said.
“Words are very important and can often lead to unintended consequences; I hope this will not be one of those instances.”
The White House has not provided further details on the submarines’ current locations or rules of engagement.
The exchange is the latest in a series of increasingly tense communications between the former Cold War foes, with Trump attempting to strong-arm Moscow into ending its prolonged invasion of Ukraine. Despite claiming to have a “deal in waiting,” Trump has struggled to get tangible concessions from the Kremlin since returning to office.
Medvedev’s rhetoric reflects a longstanding scepticism in Moscow regarding Trump’s diplomatic overtures, often mocking U.S. efforts as bluster and posturing.
Trump’s revised deadline—to secure a peace deal in just 14 days—has been met with widespread concern among NATO allies and diplomats, who fear the escalating war of words could lead to unintended military confrontations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to respond publicly to the developments, while officials in the Pentagon have declined to comment on the submarine movements.
“The deployment of U.S. nuclear submarines, even as a deterrent gesture, brings us one step closer to the brink,” said Dr. Elise Garner, a nuclear policy expert at the Brookings Institution.
“The rhetoric is outpacing diplomacy, and that’s a dangerous trajectory.”
