U.S. President Donald Trump introduced on Friday that he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be repositioned in response to current remarks by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, escalating tensions between the 2 nuclear-armed powers.
In response, Trump posted on social media:
“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 added that “words are very important and can often lead to unintended consequences,” expressing hope that the state of affairs wouldn’t escalate additional.
Pressed by reporters on the choice, Trump mentioned:
“A threat was made by a former president of Russia, and we’re going to protect our people.”
The U.S. Navy and Pentagon declined to touch upon whether or not any submarines had truly been moved. It stays unclear what Trump meant by “nuclear submarines,” since U.S. vessels are nuclear-powered, and a few—however not all—carry nuclear-armed missiles.
Security analysts seen the transfer extra as a rhetorical sign than a tactical shift, noting the U.S. already maintains submarines able to hanging Russia as a part of its common nuclear deterrent posture.
Still, arms management advocates criticized the statements as “irresponsible,” warning that such language can heighten the chance of miscalculation throughout already tense relations.
The alternate comes amid rising frustration from Trump over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s lack of progress in ending the greater than three-year-long struggle in Ukraine.
