Key Points and Summary – President Donald Trump is escalating tensions with Russia by deploying two U.S. nuclear submarines to the region ahead of a Friday ceasefire deadline for Ukraine.
-The move was a response to inflammatory rhetoric from Russian official Dmitry Medvedev, but nuclear security experts have labeled Trump’s action as “risky,” warning it could lead to a dangerous miscalculation.
-While the Kremlin urged caution with “nuclear rhetoric,” its foreign ministry simultaneously announced it is abandoning its moratorium on deploying nuclear-capable intermediate-range missiles in Europe, raising the stakes in the standoff even higher.
America vs. Russia in the Ukraine Crisis
With the Friday deadline for Russia to move towards a ceasefire in Ukraine just days away, President Donald Trump is ratcheting up tensions.
Last week, per The Hill, Trump declared that he was sending two nuclear submarines to the vicinity of Russia, following a back-and-forth war of words on Truth Social and Telegram with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Additionally, Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, is reportedly heading to the region on Wednesday.
“Nuclear submarines” has a couple of meanings, and as reported by The Hill, “It’s not clear if Trump is referring to nuclear-armed submarines or nuclear-powered attack submarines, but the confusion adds to the threat, which coincides with the president’s Friday deadline for Russia to end the war or face further economic isolation.”
Should the deadline pass without an extension, Trump has vowed “secondary tariffs” on countries that purchase oil from Russia. And the president has already been sabre-rattling towards India, a country that buys Russian oil.
The Experts Issue a Warning
Experts called the approach “risky.”
“I don’t see a lot of the benefits or the advantages, given that the Russians know very well that we have, for decades, had nuclear-armed submarines that could target what matters to them,” Erin Dumbacher, the Stanton Nuclear Security Senior Fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations, told The Hill.
“I see more risk than reward to using statements like this.”
One former Democratic Congressman agreed.
“Does this mean that all of a sudden we should all be going to the cellar and locking ourselves in? No,” John Tierney, a former Massachusetts Congressman who is now the executive director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, told The Hill.
“Of major concern is nuclear rhetoric that could all too easily lead to mistake or miscalculation, resulting in catastrophe. Trump’s verbal engagement with an essentially powerless Russian politician is inappropriate and unhelpful,” Tierney told the publication separately. “What is needed is a steady hand, not someone who allows his anger at a personal insult to risk escalating to a dangerous situation.”
Medvedev, who was briefly president of Russia in between Putin’s terms, is now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, where he often serves as an “attack dog” against enemies of the Putin regime, as CNN reported this week in a profile of the ex-leader.
Last week, Medvedev referenced the TV series “The Walking Dead,” and also mentioned Russian second-strike capabilities in a Telegram message, which was followed by Trump announcing the movement of nuclear submarines.
The Kremlin Responds
“In general, of course, we would not want to get involved in such a controversy and would not want to comment on it in any way,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the press on Monday. “Of course, we believe that everyone should be very, very careful with nuclear rhetoric.”
Also this week, Russia’s foreign ministry announced that it no longer considers itself bound by its “self-imposed moratorium on the deployment of nuclear-capable intermediate range missiles,” The Independent reported.
“In a statement Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry linked the decision to efforts by the U.S. and its allies to develop intermediate-range weapons and preparations for their deployment in Europe and other parts of the world. It specifically cited U.S. plans to deploy Typhoon and Dark Eagle missiles in Germany starting next year,” The Independent reported.
“The ministry noted that such actions by the U.S. and its allies create ‘destabilizing missile potentials’ near Russia, creating a ‘direct threat to the security of our country’ and carry ‘significant harmful consequences for regional and global stability, including a dangerous escalation of tensions between nuclear powers,’ the report said, likely about the Trump’s announced submarine deployment.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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bobb
August 5, 2025 at 9:35 am
Russia must seize the upper hand in the confrontation with trump.
Trump is feeling highly unnerved at the moment, due to overwhelming distrust over his current secrecy about his past dealings with jeffrey epstein.
Now, the attack dog must go for more fresh meat, and ask what’s he’s not doing for gaza.
In gaza, starvation and slaughter go hand in hand as well as infanticide and deliberate targeting of aid workers.
The attack dog must ensnare witkoff by his ankles as well as his neck.
Witkoff will leave russia mentally highly traumatized and dazed and unable to file a coherent report.
Russia gonna nuke all of europe next week, pres !
mutters witkoff as he leaves the airport lobby.
HEAD FOR THE HILLS. Head for the appalachian mountains.