Trump orders nuclear submarines moved after Russian ‘provocative statements’
Japan today :
US President Donald Trump on Friday said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in “the appropriate regions” in response to remarks from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev about the risk of war between the nuclear-armed adversaries.
Security analysts called Trump’s move a rhetorical escalation with Moscow, but not necessarily a military one, given that the United States already has nuclear-powered submarines that are deployed and capable of striking Russia.
Medvedev on Thursday said Trump should remember that Moscow possessed Soviet-era nuclear strike capabilities of last resort, after Trump had told Medvedev to “watch his words.”
“Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev … 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 said in Friday’s social media post. He added: “Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.”
Asked later by reporters why he ordered the submarine movement, Trump said: “A threat was made by a former president of Russia, and we’re going to protect our people.” The U.S. Navy and the Pentagon declined to comment about Trump’s remarks or on whether submarines had been moved.
It is extremely rare for the U.S. military to discuss the deployment and location of U.S. submarines given their sensitive mission in nuclear deterrence.
Trump’s comments came at a time of mounting tension between Washington and Moscow as Trump grows frustrated with what he sees as President Vladimir Putin’s failure to negotiate an end to his more than three-year-old invasion of Ukraine.
He did not specify what he meant by “nuclear submarines.” U.S. military submarines are nuclear-powered and can be armed with nuclear-tipped missiles, although not all are.
But any talk by a U.S. president about potential nuclear military capabilities raises concerns, the security experts said, noting that the United States has historically refrained from matching Russia’s nuclear-saber rattling given the risks surrounding the world’s most devastating weaponry.
“This is irresponsible and inadvisable,” said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association advocacy group. “No leader or deputy leader should be threatening nuclear war, let alone in a juvenile manner on social media.”