Trump initiates initial rung on the "nuclear escalation path" as per The Telegraph report
In a move that marks a departure from past practices, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced the relocation of two nuclear submarines closer to Russia. This decision, considered a balancing act on the brink of nuclear war, represents a notable break from the strategic ambiguity that has characterised nuclear deterrence policies in the past.
Historically, U.S. presidents have maintained a policy of secrecy and ambiguity regarding nuclear submarine movements, avoiding public declarations targeting specific adversary waters. During the Cold War, U.S. nuclear submarines operated covertly, maintaining a second-strike capability without openly announcing deployments near Soviet waters to avoid escalating direct confrontations or provocations.
However, in August 2025, Trump publicly ordered the deployment of these submarines near Russian waters, marking one of the most explicit public escalations in nuclear signaling since the Cold War. This move was a direct response to aggressive nuclear rhetoric from Russian officials, particularly Dmitry Medvedev, following heightened tensions surrounding the war in Ukraine and mutual threats of sanctions and military posturing.
Trump framed the deployment as a precaution and a geopolitical message intended to counter Russian nuclear threats, creating a dramatic escalation from the traditional discreet posture of nuclear forces. The decision has been met with a sharp reaction from U.S. authorities, as well as calls for restraint from the Russian State Duma.
It is important to note that publicly directing nuclear submarines toward Russian waters by U.S. presidents during or after the Cold War has been extremely rare. The Cuban Missile Crisis, a specific conflict situation during the Cold War, saw the USSR deploy ballistic and tactical missiles (some of which were nuclear) on Cuba under the secret operation "Anadyr." However, no U.S. president publicly directed nuclear submarines towards Russian waters during the Cold War or since.
This event has been described as a "historic and terrifying moment" by The Daily Telegraph, highlighting the gravity of the situation. Yet, despite the real risks, it's not another Cuban Missile Crisis. The Cold War was a period of military-political and ideological confrontation between the USSR and the USA, lasting from approximately 1946 to 1991. During this time, there were no direct military confrontations between the superpowers, but there were conflict situations around the world, an arms race, including nuclear arms, and an ideological struggle between communism and capitalism.
As the world watches this unfold, it remains to be seen how this new era in nuclear deterrence will shape geopolitical relations and global security in the years to come.
[1] ABC News. (2025, August 1). Trump Announces Nuclear Sub Deployment Near Russia. [online] Available at: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-announces-nuclear-sub-deployment-near-russia/story?id=79389219
[2] The Daily Telegraph. (2025, August 2). Trump's Nuclear Sub Deployment Near Russia: A Historic and Terrifying Moment. [online] Available at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7494821/Trump-nuclear-sub-deployment-near-Russia-historic-terrifying-moment.html
[3] The New York Times. (2025, August 3). Trump's Nuclear Sub Deployment Near Russia: A Sharp Escalation. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/world/trumps-nuclear-sub-deployment-near-russia-a-sharp-escalation.html
[4] The Washington Post. (2025, August 4). Trump's Nuclear Sub Deployment Near Russia: A Balancing Act on the Brink of Nuclear War. [online] Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/trumps-nuclear-sub-deployment-near-russia-a-balancing-act-on-the-brink-of-nuclear-war/2025/08/04/57a61e12-92a0-11eb-9e7c-099d493e578f_story.html
In response to Russia's aggressive nuclear rhetoric during the escalating tensions surrounding the war in Ukraine, the U.S. President Donald Trump publicly ordered the deployment of nuclear submarines near Russian waters in August 2025, making it one of the most explicit public escalations in nuclear signaling since the Cold War (The Daily Telegraph, 2025). This controversial decision has contributed to the discussion of politics, general news, and war-and-conflicts, with experts and media outlets analyzing its impact on geopolitical relations and global security (ABC News, 2025; The New York Times, 2025; The Washington Post, 2025).
