Trump Orders Nuclear Sub Deployment After Medvedev’s 'Provocative' Remarks

President Donald Trump said on Friday he has ordered two U.S. nuclear submarines to be positioned in appropriate regions in response to what he called “highly provocative” statements by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev as the war of words between the two continued to escalate. 

Now serving as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Medvedev made remarks Trump described as “foolish and inflammatory,” prompting the move as a precaution. “Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 

Trump’s revamped tariff plan and Friday’s weak jobs report were already weighing on the U.S. stock market in midday trade. The SPDR S&P 500 (SPY), SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIA), and Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 (QQQ), in the red. QQQ was the worst hit, down more than 2%, followed by SPY dipping 1.75% and DIA falling 1.42%. 

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around SPY slipped to ‘neutral’ from ‘bullish’ a day ago. According to an ongoing poll on the platforms, most retail traders currently anticipate the next 5% move for the S&P 500 will be down. 

“If some words from the former president of Russia trigger such a nervous reaction from the high-and-mighty president of the United States, then Russia is doing everything right and will continue to proceed along its own path,” Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel on Thursday.

He also warned Trump to remember “how dangerous the fabled ‘Dead Hand’ can be”, referring to a secretive Russian system that is said to be able to launch nuclear missiles if the country’s leaders were wiped out in an enemy strike.

Medvedev’s comments came in response to Trump’s earlier post on Truth Social on Wednesday night, which called the deputy chairman,  “the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words.”

“He’s entering very dangerous territory!” Trump wrote after Medvedev mocked Trump’s warning earlier this week that the U.S. would bring in more sanctions against Russia in 10 days if it did not take steps to end the ongoing war.

Medvedev called the warning a “theatrical ultimatum” and said, “each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war.”

Trump referred to Russia and India as “dead economies”, warning that he would be raising tariffs on India. “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care,” he wrote.

Read also: Trump’s Trade Plans Will Survive Even If Court Rules Against Tariffs, Says US Trade Representative

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