Trump deploys nuclear submarines after “provocative comments” by former Russian President | BBC News

0:00 President Trump says he's ordered the deployment of two US nuclear submarines to the appropriate regions in response to threats from the former Russian president Dimmitri Medvev. Both men have been taunting each other of late after the White House this week said Russia had 10 days to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face tough sanctions. In response, Mr. Medved reminded him that Russia possessed nuclear strike capabilities. It's not clear exactly where Mr. Trump has ordered the submarines to be deployed. We'll have reaction from Moscow in a moment with Steve Rosenberg. But first, Gary O' Donahue is our top story from Washington. In recent days, Donald Trump's rhetoric

0:45 on Russia has turned up a notch. Russia, I think it's disgusting what they're doing. But rhetoric has now turned to action with the deployment of two nuclear submarines, not specifying whether they were the kind that could carry nuclear warheads. He was responding to the words of the former Russian president Dmitri Medvidev who accused the US president of playing the ultimatum game over threats to impose fresh sanctions on Russia next week if a ceasefire in Ukraine wasn't agreed. The former president said each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war not between Russia and Ukraine but with his own country. In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump said he was deploying the subs just in case these foolish and inflammatory

1:30 statements are more than just that. Words are very important and can often lead to unintended consequences. I hope this will not be one of those instances. The two men have met before in 2017 at a summit in Asia. President Medved called Donald Trump open and well-meaning. While former President Medvev retains a role in Russia's National Security Council, he is not seen as the voice of Vladimir Putin, but nonetheless is provocative in his statements. Today, the current Russian president, pictured here with his Bellar Russian counterpart, was more measured, declaring that disappointments only came from excessive expectations. The US has more than a dozen submarines that can carry nuclear warheads. They

2:17 form part of the so-called triad of air, land, and sea deterrence, the most undetectable part of America's strategic nuclear force. Donald Trump's latest deadline on Russia runs out at the end of next week. He's already said he doesn't expect fresh sanctions to change Vladimir Putin's behavior. Well, in a moment, we'll hear from Steve in Moscow. But first, back to you, Gary, in Washington. This all seems frankly extraordinary the deployment of nuclear submarines. It is extraordinary Clive. I mean it's not clear whether these are nuclear armed submarines or nuclearpowered submarines. It's worth saying that and we don't know where they're being put. And yesterday the secretary of state also the national security adviser

3:04 really downplayed these kinds of comments from President Medved saying he wasn't a relevant player. He wasn't a decision maker uh in Russia. And today here we have the president sending off a couple of submarines in the direction because of these comments from president the former president Medvadev. So it's unclear exactly how serious this is. We're always told uh that we should take his actions on his words seriously and these are actions and in the past few minutes the president has said that a threat was made. It wasn't appropriate and that he had to protect our people as he put it. Well, this is a significant escalation, but we'll see really whether it amounts to more than words. And there will be this crunch point at the end of next week uh when this deadline runs out in terms of Ukraine uh and extra

3:50 sanctions could be put on Russia and its trading partners like India and China. Yeah, that deadline now taking on added significance to you, Steve. Uh in Moscow, Mr. Medveier, former Russian president and prime minister, now deputy chairman of Russia Security Council. He's been an outspoken critic of the West since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, hasn't he? Yes, he certainly has. Interestingly, there's been no reaction so far from the Kremlin, from the foreign ministry, from the defense ministry, anyone here really. I think everyone's trying to work out what on earth is going on and what, if anything has changed in relation to where these US nuclear subs are being positioned. There has been

4:35 reaction uh from the Moscow stock market which has fallen sharply. Judging by the reaction in the local media here, Russians are surprised uh to say the least by President Trump's post. And I I suspect that no one is more surprised than Dimmitri Midvid himself because for more than 3 years he has been tweeting and posting some very bombastic and provocative uh social media posts, most of which have gone unnoticed, I have to say. But now suddenly he has been noticed and he's got under the skin of the president of the United States in a big way. Meanwhile, while all of this is going on, um we expect we think Donald Trump's envoy Steve Whit to arrive in

5:21 Russia possibly to meet Vladimir Putin. And tonight one uh prominent Russian news site described he like likened Mr. Witkoff to a rabbit being pulled out of a magician's hat. the magician being Donald Trump. But I think it's a big ask for Mr. Whitov to magically ease all the tensions that we're seeing at the moment. Indeed. All right, Steve, thank you for that. Steve Rosenberg live in Moscow and Gary Donahghue in Washington. Many thanks.