Trump’s Nuclear Submarine Deployment Near Russia Triggers Kremlin Warning on Nuclear Rhetoric
In a sharp escalation of nuclear rhetoric, the Kremlin on Monday issued a cautious warning following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he had deployed two nuclear submarines to regions near Russia.
The move was a direct response to statements made by former Russian President and current Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev.
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“Russia is very attentive to the topic of nuclear non-proliferation. And we believe that everyone should be very, very cautious with nuclear rhetoric,” Peskov said, according to Russian media and AFP.
President Trump’s remarks, made during a Newsmax interview, referenced Medvedev’s “highly provocative” comments and stressed the importance of preparedness. “When you talk about nuclear, we have to be prepared… and we’re totally prepared,” Trump said. While he did not clarify whether the submarines were nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed, he insisted they were deployed as a “precaution.”
This escalation follows a tense exchange on social media between the two leaders. Trump warned Medvedev to “watch his words,” prompting the Russian official to accuse Trump of taking a “step towards war… not with Ukraine, but with his own country.”
The controversy has reignited global attention on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), an international accord aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear arms and promoting peaceful nuclear technology.
Signed by 191 countries--including both Russia and the United States--the treaty obliges nuclear powers not to assist others in acquiring such weapons, while non-nuclear states agree to abstain from pursuing them.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) enforces compliance through inspections and safeguards.
Adding to the tension, Trump has linked the threat of new sanctions on Russia to a rapid ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict. His administration has dispatched Special Envoy Steve Witkoff--already engaged in Middle East negotiations--to Moscow mid-week for exploratory talks. Asked what might avert sanctions, Trump said: “Get a deal where people stop getting killed.”
Trump has also warned that if Moscow fails to de-escalate, he may impose "secondary tariffs" on nations such as China and India, which continue to trade with Russia, particularly in energy and defense.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his uncompromising position on Ukraine. Speaking on Friday, he reaffirmed Moscow’s demand that Kyiv abandon its NATO ambitions and cede territories that Russia claims to have annexed.
The international community is closely watching as diplomatic backchannels and high-stakes maneuvers unfold against the backdrop of heightened military preparedness.
The deployment of nuclear-capable assets and the exchange of threats have raised concerns over a potential erosion of the global nuclear stability framework.