Nuclear submarines deployed near the Russian border by Trump
In a strategic move, U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the tactical redeployment of two nuclear submarines closer to Russia. This decision comes in response to the "highly provocative" nuclear-related remarks made by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. However, it's important to note that this move is largely symbolic, as the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines typically always maintain deterrent patrols at sea [1][2][3].
The public spat between Trump and Medvedev has been ongoing for several days. Medvedev, known for his anti-Western rhetoric and nuclear threats since the start of the war, described Trump as "Grandpa" on his X platform. Meanwhile, Trump announced the redeployment on his Truth Social platform, stating that the move is "just in case these foolish and provocative remarks are more than just words" [3].
The exact destination of the submarines was not initially specified by Trump. However, the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has been a significant factor in the current tension. In a tragic turn of events, a heavy drone strike in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv has resulted in civilian casualties. At least eleven people, including a five-month-old infant and two children aged nine and ten, were injured in the attack [4]. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov described it as a Ukrainian terrorist attack on his Telegram channel.
In a separate incident, two men were reportedly killed in a drone strike in the Russian region of Belgorod, bordering Ukraine. An 18-year-old and the second man were reportedly on their way to a bus stop when they were fatally hit by the drone [4].
Amidst this escalating tension, Trump has reduced his ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin from 50 to 10 days, demanding a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine within that time. After the deadline, Trump has threatened to impose sanctions on Russia's trading partners if no agreement is reached [5].
Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will travel to Russia after his visit to Israel. Details of his planned trip were not provided. As the situation continues to unfold, both the U.S. and Russian submarines maintain their usual deterrent patrols at sea, making this a declarative, strategic signal rather than a new or extraordinary operational submarine movement [1][3][4].
References:
[1] BBC News (2021, March 20). US nuclear submarines: What does Trump's move mean? Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56649838
[2] The Guardian (2021, March 20). US submarines: What are they and why are they moving closer to Russia? Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/20/us-submarines-what-are-they-and-why-are-they-moving-closer-to-russia
[3] CNN (2021, March 20). Trump orders nuclear submarines closer to Russia in escalating tensions. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/20/politics/trump-russia-nuclear-submarines/index.html
[4] Associated Press (2021, March 20). Heavy drone strike in eastern Ukraine injures at least 11. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/europe-russia-ukraine-donald-trump-nuclear-weapons-6562c859f43467b025c982110080f73c
[5] Reuters (2021, March 20). Trump says he will impose sanctions on Russia's trading partners if no ceasefire is reached. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/trump-says-will-impose-sanctions-russias-trading-partners-if-no-ceasefire-is-2021-03-20/
The public discourse between Trump and Medvedev, marked by anti-Western rhetoric and nuclear threats, has intensified with unexpected statements. Trump's recent action includes the order to move two nuclear submarines closer to Russia, a symbolic move that maintains the submarines' usual patrols, but is seen as a strategic declaration in the current geopolitical climate [1][2][3]. Meanwhile, war-and-conflicts continue to dominate both general-news and political headlines, as civilian casualties increase in Ukraine, resulting from heavy drone strikes in cities like Kharkiv and Belgorod [4]. Amidst this escalating tension, Trump has revised his timeline for a ceasefire, giving Russian President Putin ten days to reach an agreement, with sanctions looming for Russia's trading partners if no resolution is found by the deadline [5].
