President Donald Trump said on Friday he has ordered two U.S. nuclear-powered submarines to take up positions in unspecified “appropriate regions” near Russia. The move, announced in a post on his Truth Social platform, was framed as a response to what Trump called “highly provocative statements” by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council. Trump wrote that the deployment is intended as a precaution “just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,” stressing that “words are very important and can often lead to unintended consequences.” He did not identify the class or precise location of the submarines; U.S. ballistic-missile boats operate under strict secrecy and are routinely on patrol in areas that include the North Atlantic and Arctic waters. The order comes days after Trump set a 10-day deadline for the Kremlin to show progress toward ending its war in Ukraine or face tighter U.S. sanctions, potentially including tariffs on buyers of Russian energy. Medvedev had dismissed the ultimatum, saying it brought the two countries “a step towards war,” and alluded to Russia’s own nuclear capabilities. The Pentagon and the U.S. Navy have not commented on the president’s directive, and there was no immediate reaction from Moscow. The submarine repositioning underscores the growing strain in U.S.–Russian relations as diplomatic efforts to reach a cease-fire in Ukraine remain stalled.