Russia backs off Medvedev rhetoric after Trump says he ordered nuke subs closer to Moscow

WASHINGTON — The Kremlin tried Monday to defuse tensions caused by remarks from one of Russia’s top officials that led President Trump to shift two nuclear submarines closer to Moscow.

“As you know, Russia holds a responsible position. President Putin’s stance is well known,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, according to the official TASS news agency.

“Russia takes the issue of nuclear non-proliferation very seriously,” Peskov added. “And, of course, we believe that everyone should be extremely careful when it comes to nuclear rhetoric.”

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had taunted Trump last week in a flurry of posts on X about the US possibly deploying additional sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine — insisting that “each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war.”

Medvedev, now deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, previously warned Trump of World War III in May in response to the US president’s criticisms of Putin.

On Friday, Trump responded by announcing he was moving two nuclear submarines to “appropriate regions.”

“I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,” he added, without further detailing where the vessels had been positioned.