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Trump says US 'prepared' to respond to alleged nuclear threat by Russia

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 02 August 2025 9:05 AM

United States President Donald Trump has announced the US military is "prepared" to respond to an alleged nuclear threat by Russia.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, in a Telegram post on Thursday, told Trump to remember "how dangerous the mythical Dead Hand can be." "Dead Hand" is a doomsday nuclear weapons control system developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The decades-old world-ending control system, if activated, would automatically or semi-automatically launch all the nuclear missiles at enemy targets.

After Medvedev's post on Telegram, Trump claimed on Truth Social on Friday that he was deploying two nuclear US submarines to counter what he described as a fresh threat made by the Russians against the people of America.

"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 wrote.

"Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences; I hope this will not be one of those instances."

Later asked by reporters why he ordered the submarine deployment, Trump claimed: "A threat was made by a former president of Russia and we're going to protect our people."

The war of words between Trump and Medvedev had begun much earlier in the week when the Russian official responded to remarks by a US senator who warned the Russian leaders to comply with Trump's demands or face consequences.

After Trump decided to slap a 10-day ultimatum on Russian President Vladimir Putin to either change the course of Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine, or face sanctions, Medvedev fired back on Monday, saying it's not up to Trump to dictate to the Russians when or where to "get at the peace table."

On Wednesday, Trump called Medvedev a "failed" former president who is treading closer into the perilous zone of nuclear warfare between the countries.

"Tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he's still President, to watch his words. He's entering very dangerous territory!"

Medvedev responded once more, pointing to the "nervous" reaction of the American president, saying that Trump's response simply proved that Russia was right in its policy choices and should maintain its course in its special operation in Ukraine until all its military objectives are accomplished.

Putin, who has not responded to Trump's ultimatum, said on Friday that he wanted a "lasting and stable peace" in Ukraine.

In the past, Russian officials have criticized Trump over his "theatrical" ultimatums, warning the Americans that such pressure tactics escalated the tensions between the two countries, increasing the risk of a direct confrontation between the two nuclear powers.

During the election campaign, Trump repeatedly promised the Americans he would end the Ukraine war in just 24 hours.