WASHINGTON — President Trump said Friday he had ordered two nuclear submarines moved closer to Russia in response to “highly provocative statements” by a top Kremlin official.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, had taunted Trump directly in a recent post on X, saying “each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war.”
“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 wrote on Truth Social, without revealing the location of the vessels.
“Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances,” he added.
Trump didn’t say whether a specific statement from Medvedev prompted the retaliation, as the Kremlin official has been on an anti-American tirade for weeks.
In response to a question from The Post as he left the White House for his Bedminster, NJ club Friday, Trump claimed that “you just have to read” Medvedev’s remarks to see the threats he’s made.
“He was talking about nuclear,” the president said. “When you talk about nuclear you have to be prepared. And we’re totally prepared.”
The president also didn’t specify whether he referred to nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. The location of submarines is usually kept secret by the military, so the public may never know where or whether the ships will be moved.
The Pentagon referred requests for additional information to the White House, which declined to comment on the record.
Trump’s threat is the first time he’s suggested using the nuclear option in his battle with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has defied America’s warnings about continuing Russia’s war on Ukraine.
In his latest move, Trump threatened Russia with secondary sanctions if Moscow does not stop its ongoing war on Ukraine by Aug. 8.
Medvedev wrote in his post that Trump “should remember two things” as he issues his threats on Moscow — that “Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran” and that “each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country.”
“Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!” Medvedev mocked in reference to Trump’s nickname for former President Joe Biden.
The former Russian president often makes aggressive remarks on social media and is less diplomatic toward the US than Putin in his public comments — but is largely seen as having a ceremonial role with little actual influence.
Medvedev served as president from 2008 to 2012 and was widely seen as a puppet of Putin, who at the time was only allowed to serve two terms in a row.
While the Russian president has held off on commenting on Trump’s upcoming sanctions, Medvedev has taken to X numerous times to directly condemn the threat.
“Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn’t care,” Medvedev wrote on July 15.
Medvedev, 59, was even more belligerent under Biden, arguing in November of 2024 that if the US were to send nuclear weapons to Ukraine, then Russia would have grounds to respond with an atomic attack.
He also raged against Trump directing the US military to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities, writing on June 22, “at this rate, Trump can forget about the Nobel Peace Prize — not even with how rigged it has become. What a way to kick things off, Mr. President. Congratulations!”
Early Thursday morning, the US president had described Medvedev as the “failed former President of Russia” and warned him to “watch his words.”
Medvedev responded hours later by writing, “Russia is right on everything and will continue to go its own way.”