President **Donald Trump** has confirmed that he ordered **two nuclear submarines** to be repositioned to “the appropriate regions”—widely interpreted as closer to Russia—following a series of harsh nuclear warnings by former Russian President **Dmitry Medvedev**, who now serves as deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council Reuters reveals and detailed in **Sky News’ coverage** of Trump’s public statement as covered by Sky.
Trump explained his decision on social media and at the White House, referencing Medvedev’s reminders of Russia’s Cold War-era **”Dead Hand”** nuclear strike system and labeling Medvedev’s comments as “foolish and inflammatory”—warning they could have unintended consequences if not taken seriously Reuters contextualizes his quote and **The Guardian** lays out the escalating dialogue in their analysis.
“A threat was made by a former president of Russia, and we’re going to protect our people,” Trump told reporters, stressing the move was about safeguarding Americans—though Pentagon officials declined to confirm the actual migration of subs or precise coordinates as noted in Reuters coverage.
“We just have to be careful… so I have to be very careful.”
Security experts quickly weighed in, warning the order may undermine strategic deterrence. **Michael Clarke**, a defense analyst, told **The Times** that moving nuclear‑armed Ohio‑class subs from deep-ocean patrol zones to shallower waters diminishes their stealth and second-strike credibility, turning operational assets into symbolic props as Clarke critiques.
The **Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI)** issued a pointed response, cautioning that Trump’s rhetoric dangerously raises the risk of miscalculation between two nuclear powers. They urged resumption of **New START** treaty mechanisms to reduce the possibility that words become weapons NTI posted a formal statement.
Meanwhile, analysts from the **Arms Control Association** warned the announcement amounted to unnecessary escalation. **Daryl Kimball** called it “irresponsible and inadvisable”—noting that explicit threats of nuclear posturing on social media are historically rare and dangerously provocative as reported in Reuters.
Medvedev—who once signed the New START treaty but now publishes hawkish nuclear rhetoric via X (formerly Twitter)—had warned Trump’s escalation could lead to war not just with Russia, but even with the U.S. itself. Trump’s move appears to be the first public U.S. response using tangible nuclear assets as overviewed in Reuters’ profile and **Al Jazeera** breaks down how this follows the heated exchange in their strategic explainer.
In response, Russia and China have continued pre-scheduled military coordination in the **Sea of Japan**, conducting anti-submarine drills under the banner of **“Maritime Interaction‑2025”**—signaling ongoing readiness amid growing tensions with Washington as reported by Reuters.
In the U.S., many see Trump’s decision as a political signal. While the U.S. routinely keeps several Ohio‑class subs hidden in its nuclear triad, expert **Hans Kristensen** noted the submarines already maintained deterrence posture—and that the repositioning does little beyond dramatize alliance messaging Kristensen’s comments cited in Reuters.
Still, White House envoy **Steve Witkoff** is pushing Russian officials toward peace talks—while Trump continues pressuring Putin with economic sanctions or tariffs if no ceasefire is reached by the **August 8 ultimatum**. Despite the escalation, Russia has not shown willingness to comply or respond publicly to submarine deployment claims as Reuters summarizes and **AP News** frames it as a serious escalation in diplomatic messaging in AP’s report.
For now, analysts emphasize that the move is symbolic yet dangerous: it heightens risk and diminishes deterrent secrecy. As world leaders and military planners watch closely, whether it deters Russian provocation—or provokes further escalation—remains an urgent question.
