'Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances,' says US president
President Donald Trump said on Friday that he has directed the deployment of two US nuclear submarines to "the appropriate regions" amid an escalating war of words with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
"Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, 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," he said on social media.
"Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances," he added.
Medvedev lashed out at Trump on Monday, warning that Trump’s escalating pressure on the Kremlin over the war in Ukraine risks triggering a broader conflict, not just between Russia and Ukraine, but between Russia and the US.
"50 days or 10…He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn't Israel or even Iran. 2. 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 said on X.
The former Russian president stepped up his warnings in a separate Telegram post, raising the specter of the Soviet Union's Cold War "Dead Hand" system, which automated nuclear strikes if the Soviet leadership was incapacitated.
The system is said to still be operational.
