In a period of tension in international relations, the recent move by Donald Trump to deploy nuclear submarines near Russian waters has raised concerns about potential escalation between the US and Russia. The reasons why, according to his assessment, Russia has not “responded” to Trump’s move with nuclear submarine deployment are analyzed by a BBC journalist.
In his article, Steve Rosenberg, BBC correspondent in Moscow since 2003, expresses the view that the American president’s recent action is not expected to lead to an escalation of tensions between the US and Russia. This move followed statements by Dmitry Medvedev, which Trump characterized as “provocative” toward the United States.
BBC: Why Russia remains silent on Trump’s nuclear submarine deployment order
In detail, BBC journalist Steve Rosenberg states: “Could this be the first time in history that a social media feud triggers nuclear escalation? President Donald Trump, offended by posts from Russia’s former president, Dmitry Medvedev, says he has ordered two nuclear submarines to move closer to Russia.”
He then refers to potential Russian responses saying: “So, how will Moscow react? Are we heading toward nuclear confrontation between America and Russia? An internet-age version of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis? I doubt it, judging from the initial reactions in Russia. Russian media were rather ‘dismissive’ of Trump’s announcement. Speaking to the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper, a military analyst concluded that Trump had ‘a temper tantrum.’ A retired rear admiral told Kommersant that the American president’s reference to submarines was ‘meaningless chatter. That’s how he entertains himself.’ ‘I’m sure Trump didn’t actually give any order [regarding the submarines],’ a Russian security expert argued in the same newspaper.”
“Could Donald Trump’s submarine deployment herald a US-Russia summit?”
As he continues: “Kommersant also reminds us that in 2017 Trump said he had sent two nuclear submarines to the Korean Peninsula as a warning to North Korea. However, shortly afterward, Trump met with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un. Could, then, curiously, Donald Trump’s recent submarine deployment be a herald of a US-Russia summit? I wouldn’t say so. However, the reaction of Russian authorities is interesting. As of this writing, there has been none. Not from the Kremlin. Not from the Russian Foreign Ministry. Not from the Defense Ministry. And there’s no announcement of Russian nuclear submarines moving closer to America. This suggests either that Moscow is still studying the situation and trying to decide what to do, or that it doesn’t think it needs to react.”
Trump: Tell Medvedev, the failed former Russian president who thinks he’s still in power, to watch what he says
The journalist then states: “The Russian press reaction I mentioned earlier shows that the latter is probably true. After clashing on social media, Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump met multiple times. Trump exchanged barbs with Medvedev on social media for several days. After the US president reduced the 50-day deadline he had given Russia to end the war in Ukraine to less than two weeks, Medvedev wrote that Trump ‘plays the ultimatum game with Russia… Every new ultimatum is a threat and step toward war.’ Trump responded: ‘Tell Medvedev, the failed former Russian president who thinks he’s still in power, to watch what he says. He’s on very dangerous ground.’
As he added: “Medvedev’s next post contained a reference to ‘Dead Hand,’ the automatic nuclear retaliation system developed in the Soviet Union. Obviously, this didn’t please the White House chief at all. When he was Russia’s president, from 2008 to 2012, Medvedev was considered a relatively liberal figure. ‘Freedom is better than non-freedom,’ was one of his famous phrases. But he has become increasingly hawkish. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he has gained a reputation for flamboyant, anti-Western social media posts. Most went unnoticed, as he’s not considered an official Kremlin voice. Suddenly, however, the President of the United States noticed him. And not just noticed him. He was deeply bothered. It’s one thing to dislike a social media post. We’ve all experienced that. But to dislike it so much that you send nuclear submarines seems like an overreaction. So why did Trump do it? He explains in his Newsmax interview: ‘Medvedev said some very bad things, talking about nuclear. When I hear the word “nuclear,” my eyes pop out and I say we must be very careful, because it’s the ultimate threat’.
“But Medvedev has long been accused of nuclear threats via social media. This isn’t something new. What’s clear is that Trump took Medvedev’s recent posts very personally and reacted accordingly. But might there also be some strategy involved? Unpredictable behavior seems to be a key element of how Trump operates – both in business and politics: he makes unexpected decisions that throw opponents off balance, before or during negotiations. Perhaps aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, for example. Unexpected submarine deployments might belong to this category.”
