Moving Nuclear Subs Isn’t Something You Announce on Social Media
Trump and Medvedev trading barbs online shows how easily we could slip into a catastrophic conflict.
USS Tucson headed to a secret location.
Photographer: Adam K. Thomas/US Navy via Getty Images)
Over the last week, two political leaders have exchanged barbs underlining the powerful nuclear arsenals of their respective nations. It was not just a pointless demonstration of bravado — it also showed that careless words and vague military threats can move the world closer to a disastrous conflict.
The first to lash out was Dimitry Medvedev, a former president and prime minister of Russia, who now serves as deputy chair of President Vladimir Putin’s security council. In a social media post on July 28, he said a US ultimatum for Moscow to come to the negotiating table over Ukraine was a “threat and a step towards war.” Later, he alluded to Russia’s “dead hand” nuclear launch system, which automatically fires a nuclear strike if the nation is attacked with such weapons.