President Donald Trump has ordered two nuclear submarines to move to the “appropriate regions” in response to the highly provocative statements made by Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chair of Russia’s security council. The move was announced in a post on his social media platform, but the White House has not provided any specifics about the submarines’ deployment or their capabilities. Trump stated that words are important and can lead to unintended consequences, and he hoped this would not be one of those instances.
The White House has not elaborated on questions surrounding the move, including when the submarines were deployed, whether there is a mission statement for the moves, and whether the submarines were nuclear-armed or nuclear-powered. A White House official declined to give any specifics, saying only that it is part of a plan of “strategic ambiguity.” The Defense Department has not provided any information either.
Despite the silence on any pertinent information, White House officials were quick to tout the move on social media. Russia’s Medvedev has recently sounded off on social media on Trump’s deadline for Russia to come to a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine or face severe sanctions. Trump has expressed growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine, and on Monday, he moved up the timeline for Russia to make peace or face secondary sanctions from 50 days to 10 days.
