“Weapon of doom” is heating up

A dispute that began on social media between U.S. President Donald Trump and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev—who is currently not even among the top five figures in Russia’s political elite—has escalated into a nuclear threat. Medvedev, who had initially argued with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham via phone, later received a response from Trump. Medvedev retaliated by alluding to the activation of Russia’s nuclear command system known as the “Dead Hand,” while Trump bluntly stated that the United States is ready for nuclear war.

Many observers are interpreting these developments as the onset of a new Cold War. But how serious is the situation? Is Trump, whose past rhetoric has often lacked substance, being serious this time? And how significant are the statements of Medvedev, who has become increasingly active on social media in recent years but has little real political influence today? This article explores these questions in depth.

From sanctions to nuclear warnings

Following a brief thaw in relations between Presidents Putin and Trump, global attention turned to Trump's next moves. He has publicly expressed frustration with Putin during interviews, high-level White House meetings, and other venues. At one point, he gave Putin a 50-day deadline to halt the invasion of Ukraine. However, the Kremlin took no visible steps within that timeframe.

Toward the end of July, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented that Trump’s patience was wearing thin. Shortly thereafter, Trump visited Scotland and reduced the original 50-day deadline to just 10 days. He then threatened to impose secondary sanctions on Russia, warning that it would be isolated even from its closest allies unless it showed progress in ending the war.

In response, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov issued a characteristically cautious statement. However, immediately after Trump’s remarks in Scotland, Dmitry Medvedev—Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council and a political figure now better known for his aggressive social media presence—entered the fray.

Medvedev dismissed Trump’s deadlines on X (formerly Twitter), making two key points for the U.S. He claimed that Russia is neither Israel nor Iran, and that any ultimatum was essentially a step toward direct war between Russia and the United States, bypassing Ukraine. He concluded the post by advising American leaders not to follow the path of “Sleepy Joe Biden.”

Senator Lindsey Graham, the architect of several sanctions proposals against Russia and one of Trump’s closest allies, warned against underestimating Trump’s deadline and urged prompt negotiations. He added that it would soon become clear that the U.S. leadership had changed.

Medvedev, in response, dismissed both Graham and Trump as “old men” and declared he would not take lessons on diplomacy from them.

“It is not up to you or Trump to decide when negotiations begin. Talks will only happen once all of our military objectives are achieved. Focus on America first, grandfathers!” Medvedev wrote.

Trump, whose brief presidency was marked by intense social media battles with both journalists and allies, responded via his Truth Social platform. He referred to Medvedev as a failed former president and advised him to stop acting like a head of state.

“Tell Medvedev, the failed former president of Russia, who still thinks he is the head of state, to hold his tongue. He is entering very dangerous territory!” Trump posted.

In the same post, Trump also raised the issue of imposing additional tariffs on India, noting that the real goal of his proposed Russia sanctions was to penalize the top buyers of Russian energy. India has frequently been mentioned in this context.

“I don’t care what India does with Russia. Together, they can destroy their dead economies—it doesn’t concern me. The United States has almost no trade with Russia. Let’s keep it that way,” Trump added.

Medvedev responded on his Telegram channel, which has become his primary platform in recent years.

“If a few words from a former Russian president triggered such a nervous response from the terrifying U.S. president, then Russia is clearly in the right and will continue on its path,” he wrote.

He also referenced the "Dead Hand" system—also known as “Perimeter” or the “Doomsday Machine”—suggesting its potential use. This system is rumored to be an automated nuclear retaliation mechanism designed during the Soviet era. It would automatically launch a counterstrike on the United States if Russian leadership were incapacitated and communication with command centers lost. According to Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces, the system still exists today.

2 nuclear submarines near Russia

On August 1, Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social page that two U.S. nuclear submarines would be deployed near Russian waters, though he did not disclose their exact locations. With this statement, he began making strong comments about America's nuclear power and, as foreign media have noted, took the first steps on what is being called the "nuclear ladder."

“In response to the extremely aggressive statements by the former President of Russia and current Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, I have ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines to the appropriate areas. Perhaps these foolish words will not remain just words. Words are very important and can often lead to unforeseen consequences. I hope that this case will not turn out to be one of them,” Trump wrote.

In an interview with Newsmax that same day, Trump hinted that the U.S. nuclear submarines had already been deployed closer to Russia. The 10-day ultimatum to Russia, the threat of tariffs, and the final tone of his remarks culminated in what many are calling nuclear blackmail. However, these rumors and threats may not be taken seriously by all, as they were voiced by two of the most outspoken figures on social media among world politicians—one speaking on his personal platform, the other using X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram. For this reason, many have not equated the seriousness of this episode with the most acute nuclear crises of the 20th century.

Nevertheless, "The Telegraph" has called Trump’s announcement the most serious step publicly taken by a U.S. president since the Cold War. According to the publication, even during the Cold War, no president ever openly declared that U.S. nuclear submarines would be moved closer to Russian waters. Yet due to Trump's typically erratic leadership style, there has been no widespread panic, and analysts emphasize that this is not a repeat of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

For context, the Cuban Missile Crisis was triggered in October 1962 when the United States deployed Jupiter missiles in Turkey, prompting the Soviet Union to secretly install nuclear-armed missiles in Cuba. This standoff brought the two nations to the brink of nuclear war but was ultimately resolved through direct negotiations between Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and U.S. President John F. Kennedy. In the end, diplomacy averted a global catastrophe.