On Sunday, President Donald Trump made it clear that US nuclear submarines are already “in the region” attempting to confront Russia. At the Lehigh Valley International Airport, he made this statement while speaking with reporters.
Trump claims that Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy, will visit Russia on “Wednesday or Thursday.” Witkoff is scheduled to visit Moscow on Wednesday, according to Russian state media, ahead of a deadline that Trump gave to President Vladimir Putin in which he threatened additional sanctions if a ceasefire with Ukraine was not reached.
Trump claims that Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy, will visit Russia on “Wednesday or Thursday.” According to Russian state media, Witkoff is scheduled to visit Moscow on Wednesday, ahead of a deadline Trump gave to President Vladimir Putin, threatening additional sanctions if a ceasefire with Ukraine was not reached.
“There will be sanctions, but Russia has been cleverly avoiding them. Let’s see what happens,” Trump said.
“Lives are being lost, this war is absurd”: Trump
When asked what message Witkoff would send to Moscow, Trump said, “Make a deal where lives are not lost.” “Thousands of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been killed. Now cities are being attacked by missiles. This war is absurd,” he added.
Trump claimed he had previously prevented countries like India and Pakistan from going to war. “We will prevent that (Russia-Ukraine war) too, one way or another.”
Trump’s ultimatum and Medvedev’s response
President Trump warned Medvedev to “watch his words” when he said shortening the Ukraine ceasefire deadline from 50 to 10-12 days was a risk of war against the US. Medvedev signaled his intention to stick to his statement by referring to the “Dead Hand” system — a system developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War for nuclear retaliation.
Kremlin and China’s response
Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Trump’s submarine deployment as “nothing to escalate tensions.” “American submarines are already on combat duty — this is an ongoing process,” he said, according to Meduza. He added that Putin alone makes foreign policy decisions.
“We are cautious about nuclear statements,” the Kremlin asserts.. Restraint ought to be exercised by all sides.”
Russia and China’s military cooperation has strengthened in the interim. The two countries have begun joint exercises in the Sea of Japan, involving four Chinese naval ships and anti-submarine training, reports The Telegraph.
China’s Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang clarified that the exercises “are not targeted at any third party.” He accused the US of “indiscriminately demonstrating strength” in the Asia-Pacific and undermining regional peace.