Russia warned against "nuclear rhetoric" on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had ordered the deployment of nuclear submarines following a clash with Moscow official Dmitry Medvedev.
"Russia is very cautious about nuclear nonproliferation matters, and we believe everyone should be very careful about nuclear rhetoric," said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov while speaking with reporters.
Asked about the deployment of U.S. nuclear submarines, Peskov said "on the whole, certainly, we absolutely wouldn't like to engage in such polemics, nor would we like to comment on that in any way."
The statement comes after Trump said on Friday he had ordered the deployment of two submarines to the "appropriate regions" following "highly provocative statements" made by Medvedev, who is the current deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council.
The two had been exchanging threats with Trump over the past days. On Thursday, Medvedev warned about the "Dead Hand," a Cold War Soviet nuclear command that allegedly triggers automatic retaliation if Moscow leadership is targeted.
The feud began last Monday when Medvedev said that Trump's reduced deadline for Moscow to take steps towards ending the war in Ukraine actually put the U.S. and Russia closer to an armed conflict.
"Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don't go down the Sleepy Joe road!" Medvedev said back then.
Trump replied on Thursday as part of a broader message related to trade between India and Russia. "Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let's keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he's still President, to watch his words. He's entering very dangerous territory!"
Medvedev then invoked the concept of Dead Hand. "Let him remember his favorite movies about 'The Walking Dead,' as well as how dangerous the non-existent in nature 'Dead Hand' can be," he said, according to Time.
The outlet detailed that the system was never confirmed officially, but was acknowledged in 2011 by a retired commander of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces, who said it could be reactivated.
In another passage of the post, Trump said that "words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences." "I hope this will not be one of those instances," he concluded.
Nuclear rhetoric is being used as Trump's deadline for Russia to take steps towards ending the war in Ukraine gets closer. "There's no reason to wait. If you know what the answer is going to be, why wait? And it would be sanctions and maybe tariffs, secondary tariffs," Trump said when discussing the decision, adding that was "disappointed" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I don't want to do that to Russia. I love the Russian people."
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