Russia urges caution in nuclear ‘rhetoric’ after Trump comments

Moscow: Russia urged caution on Monday after US President Donald Trump said he would deploy two nuclear submarines following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.

Trump said he had ordered the deployment in response to what he alleged were highly provocative comments by Medvedev, saying the submarines would be positioned in “appropriate regions”.

Trump did not say whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines.

He also did not elaborate on the locations, which are kept secret by the US military.

“Russia is very attentive to the topic of nuclear non-proliferation. And we believe that everyone should be very, very cautious with nuclear rhetoric,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, including from AFP, on Monday.

The row between Medvedev and Trump erupted against the backdrop of the US leader’s ultimatum for Russia to end its military offensive in Ukraine or face fresh economic sanctions, including on its remaining trading partners.

Medvedev - one of Russia’s most prominent anti-Western hawks - accused Trump of “playing the ultimatum game” and said that Trump “should remember” that Russia was a formidable force.

“Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country,” he said.

Medvedev is currently deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council.

He served one term as president between 2008-2012, effectively acting as a placeholder for Putin, who was able to circumvent constitutional term limits and remain in de facto power.

The Kremlin said Monday it was anticipating “important” talks with Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, later this week, ahead of the US president’s looming deadline to impose fresh sanctions on Moscow if it does not make progress towards a peace deal with Ukraine.

Trump confirmed Sunday that special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia, likely on “Wednesday or Thursday”, where he is expected to meet President Vladimir Putin.

Speaking to reporters, Trump also said that two nuclear submarines he deployed following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev were now “in the region”.

Putin has already met Witkoff multiple times in Moscow, before Trump’s efforts to mend ties with the Kremlin came to a grinding halt.

When reporters asked what Witkoff’s message would be to Moscow, and if there was anything Russia could do to avoid the sanctions, Trump replied: “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”

The Kremlin said another meeting with Putin was possible and that it considered talks with Witkoff to be “important, substantial and helpful”.

Trump has previously threatened that new measures could mean “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners, such as China and India. This would further stifle Russia, but would risk significant international disruption.

Despite the pressure from Washington, Russia has continued its onslaught against its pro-Western neighbour.

Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said Friday that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his nearly three-and-a-half-year attack were “unchanged”.

“We need a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries,” Putin told reporters.

But he added that “the conditions (from the Russian side) certainly remain the same”.

Russia has frequently called on Ukraine to effectively cede control of four regions Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable.

Putin also wants Ukraine to drop its ambitions to join NATO.

Ukraine launched a drone attack Sunday which sparked a fire at an oil depot in Sochi, the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Kyiv has said it will intensify its air strikes against Russia in response to an increase in Russian attacks on its territory in recent weeks, which have killed dozens of civilians.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Monday its air defences intercepted 61 Ukrainian drones overnight.

One person was killed by Russian shelling in the southern Kherson region, Ukrainian military authorities said in a Telegram post early Monday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said Sunday that the two sides were preparing a prisoner exchange that would see 1,200 Ukrainian troops return home, following talks with Russia in Istanbul in July.