The Telegraph: Trump Has Exposed The Kremlin's Bluff
- 3.08.2025, 9:07
Moscow is silent in response to the demonstrative deployment of US nuclear submarines.
US President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines closer to Russia, responding to former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's nuclear rhetoric. The move was the culmination of a war of words between the leaders that unfolded on social media, writes The Telegraph.
Medvedev, who earlier called US demands for a ceasefire a "step toward war," threatened a nuclear strike if things escalated. In response, Trump sent nuclear-powered submarines closer to Russian Federation, exposing Moscow's "nuclear bluff." Despite the provocative nature of the US actions, the Kremlin has so far refrained from an official response, although it always behaves symmetrically.
"Mr. Trump's move is more theatrical than a change in the US nuclear posture," the publication writes.
American analysts regard this silence as a sign of diplomatic gamesmanship on the part of Putin, who probably does not want escalation. Meanwhile, pro-Kremlin observers in the Russian media ridiculed Trump's decision, calling it "hysteria" and "meaningless chatter."
Experts point out that the main purpose of the US maneuver is to pressure Putin, who has so far shown no willingness to make concessions on the Ukraine issue. If there is no progress by August 8, Trump promises new sanctions and trade restrictions against Moscow's allies.
With this as a backdrop, Dmitry Medvedev, who once positioned himself as a reformer, increasingly looks like a marginal figure, seeking attention through provocative statements that, according to rumors, may be related to personal habits.
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Last year, The Insider reported that Medvedev's "most awkward" social media posts appeared shortly after new shipments from a Tuscan vineyard to his Moscow address.
Rumors that Medvedev drinks have been circulating for more than a decade and have grown louder as his outbursts have intensified and footage of him falling asleep at a number of official events has emerged.
Alcohol may partly explain his transformation from a politician who courted the West to one who now denounces Western leaders. But it's more likely that he simply craves attention - and Trump just got it, even if he called Medvedev a "loser."
"The real target of the submarine maneuver is almost certainly Putin himself - a man Trump admires but who has disappointed him over his refusal to make concessions on Ukraine," the publication suggested.