President Donald Trump said Friday he has ordered two U.S. nuclear submarines to move to the “appropriate regions” near Russia in response to comments from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Why it’s relevant: Trump is making nuclear threats, despite the fact he accused former President Joe Biden of putting America on the brink of World War 3 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- While Trump has publicly been critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin, this marks the first time he’s taken military steps against Moscow.
- Earlier this week, Trump gave Russian President a deadline of 10 days to agree to a ceasefire.
The timeline: Medvedev responded Monday to Trump’s shortened timeline, calling it a step towards war.
- Trump responded on Truth Social by calling calling Medvedev a “failed former President”.
- Before Trump’s announcement on Friday, Medvedev mocked the American President, saying: “if a few words from the former President of Russia can provoke such a jittery reaction from the mighty President of the United States, then Russia must be completely in the right.”
A deeper dive: Before departing the White House, Trump doubled down, telling reporters he did the move as a safety precaution.
- We just have to be careful. And a threat was made and we didn’t think it was appropriate, so I have to be very careful. So I do that on the basis of safety for our people,” Trump said.
Go in depth: Putin Says Russia Is ‘Committed’ To Restart Talks With Ukraine
