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Leaders
04-08-2025
- Business
- Leaders
US Envoy Witkoff to Visit Russia amid Nuclear Saber-rattling
The US President, Donald Trump, has confirmed that his Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, will visit Moscow within the coming days, ahead of Trump's deadline for Russia to end the war in Ukraine by August 8, 2025. The visit announcement came as the US President revealed the repositioning of two nuclear submarines near Russia amid an escalating war of words with a high-ranking Russian official over the war in Ukraine. Visit Confirmation Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump confirmed that Witkoff would visit Moscow on August 6 or 7, right before the US President's deadline for imposing new sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine, reported France 24. 'I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday, [he] may be going to Russia,' Trump said about Witkoff's visit. Trump added that Russia has to reach a ceasefire deal to avoid fresh sanctions. 'Get a deal where people stop getting killed,' he told reporters. The US President revealed the planned trip for the first time on Thursday during an event at the White House, according to CNN. 'He's going to Russia, believe it or not,' Trump said, adding that he planned to impose fresh sanctions on Russia amid what he called 'disgusting' assaults on Ukraine. Sanctions Threats Witkoff has traveled to Moscow several times, the latest of which was in April where he met with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, at the Kremlin. However, the talks did not result in a breakthrough toward ending the ongoing war in Ukraine, increasing Trump's frustration with Putin. In response, the US President threatened Russia with new economic sanctions if it did not halt its war on Ukraine by August 8, cutting his previous 50-day deadline. On July 29, Trump said Moscow had '10 days from today' to end the war. Trump said that the new measures could involve 'secondary tariffs' on Russia's oil buyers, such as China and India. However, he seemed to downplay the impact of the new measures on the course of war or Putin's actions. 'Yeah, we're going to put sanctions. I don't know that sanctions bother him. You know, they know about sanctions. I know better than anybody about sanctions and tariffs and everything else. I don't know if that has any effect, but we're going to do it,' Trump said on Thursday. Moving Nuclear Submarines On Sunday, Trump said that two nuclear submarines arrived 'in the region' after he deployed them close to Russia. He did not specify if they are nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines, and did not reveal their exact locations. The US has a fleet of 71 nuclear-powered submarines, including 14 Ohio-class Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs), 53 Nuclear-Powered attack submarines (SSNs), and 4 Guided Missile Submarines (SSGN). Meanwhile, the Russian Navy possesses a fleet of 64 nuclear submarines, including 16 SSBNs, 14 SSNs, 11 SSGN, and 23 Diesel-electric attack submarines (SSKs), according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative arms control group. Online Row Trump's decision followed an online war of words with Russia's former president and the deputy chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev. 'Based on the highly provocative statements of the former president of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the deputy chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions,' Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday. Trump was referring to the former Russian president's remarks over the deadline and economic sanctions, in which Medvedev hinted that these measures could lead to a direct war between Russia and the US, including nuclear war. Putin's Reaction The Russian President appeared to be unmoved by Trump's threats, insisting that his demands to end the war in Ukraine remained unchanged and signaling that the war's momentum was in Russia's favor. 'We need a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries,' Putin told reporters on Friday, adding that Moscow's conditions 'certainly remain the same.' He also responded indirectly to Trump's remarks. 'As for any disappointments on the part of anyone, all disappointments arise from inflated expectations. This is a well-known general rule. But in order to approach the issue peacefully, it is necessary to conduct detailed conversations. And not in public, but this must be done calmly, in the quiet of the negotiation process,' Putin added. Moscow's demands to end the war include Ukraine's neutrality, abandoning its bid to join NATO, and ceding control of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions that Russia annexed in 2022 – demands that Kyiv firmly rejects. Short link : Post Views: 15
Leaders
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Leaders
Trump Repositions Nuclear Submarines amid Escalating US-Russian War of Words
The US President, Donald Trump, has ordered the repositioning of two US nuclear submarines in 'the appropriate regions' amid an escalating war of words with Russia's former president, Dmitry Medvedev. The decision was a response to what the US President called Medvedev's 'highly provocative statements' as the two men have been engaged in a series of verbal attacks on social media following Trump's deadline for Russia to end the war in Ukraine by August 8, 2025. Deploying Nuclear Submarines On Friday, Trump posted on social media that he would deploy two US nuclear submarines in the 'appropriate regions' in response to Medvedev's threats. 'Based on the highly provocative statements of the former president of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the deputy chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. He added that his decision came 'just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that. Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.' Responding to Russian Threats The US President said that he aimed by this decision to protect the US people against Russian threats. 'A threat was made, and we didn't think it was appropriate. So I have to be very careful,' he told reporters later on Friday. 'I do that on the basis of safety for our people. A threat was made by a former president of Russia. And we're going to protect our people,' Trump added, according to the Associated Press (AP). 'When you talk about nuclear, we have to be prepared. And we're totally prepared,' Trump said during an interview with Newsmax, adding that the submarines were being moved 'closer to Russia.' Submarine Capabilities The US and Russia possess the largest nuclear arsenals in the world and both countries have a fleet of nuclear submarines. The US has a fleet of 71 nuclear-powered submarines, including 14 Ohio-class Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs), 53 Nuclear-Powered attack submarines (SSNs), and 4 Guided Missile Submarines (SSGN). Meanwhile, the Russian Navy possesses a fleet of 64 nuclear submarines, including 16 SSBNs, 14 SSNs, 11 SSGN, and 23 Diesel-electric attack submarines (SSKs), according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative arms control group. Russia's Deadline The latest rhetoric escalation between Medvedev and Trump began after the latter set a deadline for Russia to agree on a ceasefire in Ukraine. On July 29, Trump said Moscow had '10 days from today' to end the war, cutting his previous 50-day deadline. On this matter, the US President said that his Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, was traveling to Russia to push for a ceasefire that brings the war in Ukraine to an end, threatening new economic sanctions against Moscow and it oil buyers in case no progress was made. The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, for his part, showed no sign of changing his stance on the war. On Friday, he that said Moscow hoped for more peace talks with Ukraine but that the momentum of the war was in its favor, reported Reuters. 'As for any disappointments on the part of anyone, all disappointments arise from inflated expectations. This is a well-known general rule,' he said, without explicitly referring to Trump. 'But in order to approach the issue peacefully, it is necessary to conduct detailed conversations. And not in public, but this must be done calmly, in the quiet of the negotiation process,' Putin noted. Trump-Medvedev War of Words Medvedev was Russia's president from 2008 to 2012 and is the current deputy chairman of Russia's National Security Council. He has been known for his provocative and inflammatory remarks, especially against Western leaders, since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022. The US President's statements prompted Medvedev to raise the prospect of war in a series of online posts. In response to Trumps' deadline, the Russian official wrote on X: 'Trump's playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10. He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn't Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country.' Trump issued a warning to Medvedev. 'Tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he's still President, to watch his words. He's entering very dangerous territory!' he posted on Truth Social. Hours later, Medvedev posted on Telegram that 'Russia is doing everything right and will continue to proceed along its own path.' He also reminded Trump of the 'Dead Hand,' a semi-automated Russian command system designed to launch nuclear missiles if its leaders were killed in a decapitating strike. Short link : Post Views: 11
