US President Donald Trump has ordered that two nuclear submarines be positioned in regions near Russia in response to “provocative” comments by a senior Russian official.
“Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev … 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,” Mr Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
“Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.”
Mr Trump and Mr Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, traded taunts in recent days after the US leader said on Tuesday that Russia had “ten days from today” to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or be hit, along with its oil buyers, with tariffs.
Moscow, which has set out its own terms for peace with Kyiv, has shown no sign that it will comply with the deadline.
Dmitry Medvedev has been trading taunts with Donald Trump
On Monday, Mr Medvedev accused Mr Trump of engaging in a “game of ultimatums” and reminded him that Russia possessed Soviet-era nuclear strike capabilities of last resort.
The remarks came after the US president told the Russian offical to “watch his words”.
Mr Medvedev has emerged as one of the Russia’s most outspoken anti-Western figures since the country sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022.
Critics of Moscow describe him as an irresponsible loose cannon, though some Western diplomats say his statements illustrate the thinking in senior policy-making circles.
Australia spy boss warns of Russia threat
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation has singled out Russia as an “aggressive espionage threat”, saying several Moscow-linked intelligence officers have been caught and expelled in recent years.
Mike Burgess used a speech to warn of the mounting threat posed by foreign actors such as Russia and China.
He said that 24 major espionage operations had been dismantled since 2022 – more than the previous eight years combined.
“A new iteration of great power competition is driving a relentless hunger for strategic advantage and an insatiable appetite for inside information.
“Russia remains a persistent and aggressive espionage threat,” Mr Burgess said.
He said that a number of Russian spies had been expelled from Australia in recent years, without providing details.
Mr Burgess also mentioned China and Iran as nations actively trying to pilfer classified information.
“You would be genuinely shocked by the number and names of countries trying to steal our secrets,” he said.
Repeating a warning sounded earlier this year, Mr Burgess said that foreign actors were targeting Australia’s fledgling nuclear-powered submarine programme.
The country plans to deploy the watercraft in a pact with the United States and the UK known as AUKUS.
“In particular, we are seeing foreign intelligence services taking a very unhealthy interest in AUKUS and its associated capabilities,” Mr Burgess said.
Last year, Australian police charged a married Russian-born couple with spying for Moscow.
The pair – accused of trying to steal military secrets – had lived in Australia for more than ten years.