(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump emphasized the seriousness with which he views any discussion involving nuclear weapons, declaring that the United States must remain "totally prepared" for any possible conflict. His comments came in direct response to what he called an inappropriate "threat" from former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.

Speaking at a White House press briefing, Trump detailed his decision to deploy two nuclear submarines earlier Friday. He had announced the move on Truth Social, stating the subs would be sent to “the appropriate regions” following Medvedev’s provocative remarks on social media.

“Well, we had to do that. We just have to be careful. A threat was made, and we didn’t think it was appropriate,” Trump said. ”So 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, “Well, you just have to read what he said. He was talking about nuclear. When you talk about nuclear, we have to be prepared. And we’re totally prepared.”

The exchange escalated after Medvedev’s response to Trump’s criticism of India’s reliance on Russian energy earlier this week. Medvedev dismissed New Delhi and Moscow as “dead economies” and warned of entering “very dangerous territory,” referencing pop culture and Cold War-era nuclear deterrents: “About India’s and Russia’s ‘dead economies’ and ‘entering very dangerous territory’ – well, let him remember his favorite movies about ‘the walking dead,’ as well as how dangerous the fabled ‘Dead Hand’ can be,” Medvedev wrote.

The conflict intensified when Trump called Medvedev a “failed” leader and cautioned him to “watch his words.” Medvedev, who is now Russia’s Security Council deputy chairman, fired back with a sharp warning against provoking Moscow, citing the legendary Soviet-era 'Perimetr' system—an automatic nuclear retaliation mechanism believed to still be operational.

Although Russia has never officially confirmed the existence of the ‘Perimetr’ system, Western analysts widely regard it as a last-resort deterrent designed to guarantee retaliation even if Russian command is wiped out in an attack.

Trump slammed Medvedev’s statements as “foolish and inflammatory,” underscoring that ”words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences.”

Neither the White House nor the Pentagon has commented further, and verification of Trump’s claim regarding the submarine deployment remains elusive, given the extreme secrecy surrounding the locations and patrol routes of US nuclear submarines.

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