Former US President Donald Trump has announced the deployment of two nuclear submarines to unspecified “appropriate zones” following harsh criticism from Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev. This move comes after Trump issued a 10-day ultimatum for Russia to make peace with Ukraine. Trump escalated tensions after previously labeling Medvedev a “loser,” stating the submarines would respond if Medvedev’s “idiotic and incendiary statements” proved more than mere words.
Medvedev had warned on social media platform X that any Trump ultimatum was “a step towards war.” On Telegram, he evoked zombie movies and the Soviet-era “Dead Hand” system – a semi-automatic mechanism designed to launch nuclear missiles if Russia’s leadership were destroyed. Trump confirmed late Thursday his intent to impose “sanctions against Russia” should his ultimatum be ignored, though he admitted uncertainty about its effectiveness.
Meanwhile, during an informal meeting with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko near Lake Ladoga, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated Moscow’s unchanged conditions for peace with Ukraine: recognition of Crimea and four partially occupied regions as Russian territory, and a commitment to Ukrainian neutrality. Stating his troops are “on the offensive across the entire front line,” Putin showed no sign of retreat. He did express hope for a “lasting peace ensuring security for both Russia and Ukraine,” noting Ukrainian negotiators previously hinted at discussing this within a broader European security framework.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded swiftly: “If these are signals of a real desire to end the war with dignity, then Ukraine reaffirms its readiness for a leaders’ meeting at any time.” However, Russia has consistently stated such a summit would only finalize an agreement, not initiate discussions. Putin dismissed Zelensky’s call for Western allies to push for a “regime change” in Moscow, asserting his government’s legitimacy formed under the Constitution, unlike Ukraine’s, he claimed.
Putin also took aim at the EU, predicting its “loss of political sovereignty” would lead to “loss of economic sovereignty and massive financial damage.” Concurrently, Ukraine observed a day of mourning for victims of Russian strikes Wednesday night, with casualties reported at 31 dead and 159 injured. Germany announced the imminent delivery of two Patriot missile defense batteries to Ukraine, part of a package Berlin is funding via the US.
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