The United States undertook an unprecedented military maneuver by positioning two strategic nuclear submarines in specific geographical areas after extremely tense verbal exchanges between current American President Donald Trump and former Russian head of state Dmitry Medvedev.
In an official statement released on Friday on the Truth Social platform, Trump emphasized that his actions are a direct response to "extremely provocative statements" from Medvedev, who currently holds the position of Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
The President emphasized exceptional caution in his decision, stating: "I must be very careful. I am acting based on the security of our people after a threat from a former president of Russia".
A key point in this geopolitical confrontation is the latest ultimatums that Trump is issuing to Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding military actions in Ukraine. The American leader insists on ending the conflict within 10-12 days, threatening severe economic sanctions for non-compliance.
Medvedev, who ruled Russia between 2008-2012, responded sharply to these warnings, describing them as "theatrical" and stating that "Russia is not interested" in such pressure. In a series of social media statements, he hinted at potential nuclear retaliation, using the term "dead hand" - a code name for the Russian system of control for nuclear counterstrike.
The tension between the two politicians escalated further, with Trump calling Medvedev a "failed former president who thinks he is still in power". In turn, the Russian politician continues to support the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that began in 2022.
The reaction of financial markets was immediate - the Moscow Stock Exchange recorded a significant drop after the statements of the American president. The Kremlin has not yet officially commented on the events, which further increases geopolitical tension.
International security experts describe the situation as an extremely risky moment, where the two countries possessing the largest nuclear arsenal in the world are on the verge of open verbal confrontation.
An important context is also the fact that both sides have a significant nuclear submarine fleet, which makes any such positioning potentially extremely dangerous for international security.
It remains to be seen whether these actions will lead to de-escalation or further exacerbate the already tense relations between the US and Russia in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine.