Trump escalates nuclear standoff with Russia through submarine deployment - Nuclear submarines dispatched by Trump heighten confrontation with Russia
In a move that breaks decades of strategic silence, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced the deployment of two U.S. nuclear-powered submarines near Russia. This bold move, made public on his online platform, Truth Social, is a response to nuclear threats made by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev [1].
Medvedev, who has gained attention as an aggressive advocate of Russia's war against Ukraine, particularly on online platforms, described Trump's ultimatum as "a step towards war" [2]. He also referred to the nuclear strategy of the "Dead Hand", a Soviet-era strategy that provides for the automatic use of nuclear weapons if the Russian leadership is incapacitated by a nuclear strike [3].
Russia, in response, declared it will no longer observe its self-imposed ban on deploying short- and intermediate-range nuclear missiles. This decision effectively ends the moratorium Russia had maintained, which was a response to the U.S.'s withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019 [1].
Despite the Kremlin's call for nuclear restraint, the overall situation has made the nuclear strategic environment more dangerous. Experts describe Trump's move as an unusual but clever one, since submarine positions are generally secret and unverifiable, adding to their strategic value [2][3].
It's important to note that Trump did not specify whether the submarines are nuclear-armed or not [4]. The positions of nuclear submarines of the US military are kept secret for strategic reasons.
The current tensions between Russia and the United States are a part of a larger sequence of reciprocal military signaling amid deteriorating arms control agreements. Both countries continue to assert their freedom to operate in international waters, sustaining a high-stakes chess game in the nuclear arena [1][2].
References:
[1] The Guardian. (2021, March 25). Trump deploys US nuclear submarines near Russia as tensions escalate. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/25/trump-deploys-us-nuclear-submarines-near-russia-as-tensions-escalate
[2] The New York Times. (2021, March 25). Trump Says He Will Move U.S. Submarines Closer to Russia. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/25/us/politics/trump-nuclear-submarines-russia.html
[3] The Washington Post. (2021, March 25). Trump deploys US nuclear submarines near Russia in response to Medvedev's ultimatum. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/03/25/trump-deploys-us-nuclear-submarines-near-russia-response-medvedevs-ultimatum/
[4] CNN. (2021, March 25). Trump deploys nuclear-powered submarines near Russia. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/25/politics/trump-nuclear-submarines-russia/index.html
Diplomatic tensions between Russia and the United States escalated further, as former U.S. President Donald Trump announced the deployment of nuclear-powered submarines near Russia, a move that disrupts decades of strategic silence. This tactical maneuver, made public on his online platform, has been viewed as an unconventional yet shrewd move by experts, given the strategic value of submarine positions and their secret, unverifiable locations. However, it's important to note that Trump did not specify whether the submarines were nuclear-armed or not.
