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President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday that he ordered a counterattack against Russia's nuclear submarines now “in the region” before the visit of U.S. special envoy Steve Vitok.
In Allentown, Pennsylvania, boarded Air Force One to return to Washington, D.C., Trump was asked whether he had deployed nuclear submarines to “face Russia.” Trump said on Friday's truth social that he ordered the two nuclear submarines to be “located in the appropriate areas” in response to what he believed was a “highly provocative statement” that he believed was a potential war with the United States.
“I have issued a statement and the answer is that they are in the area, yes,” Trump told reporters at the Lishai Valley International Airport on Sunday.
Trump said Vitkov is expected to travel to Russia “Wednesday or Thursday.” Russian state media reported on Monday that Vikov will arrive on Wednesday. The visit comes ahead of Friday's deadline, with Trump setting up a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin, or facing other sanctions and tariffs. Trump also warned of potential secondary tariffs for Russian energy buyers.
Trump refreshed Russia's Medvedev after “war” warning: “Look at his words”
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Sunday, August 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia DeMary Nickinson)
“Well, there will be sanctions, but they seem to be very good at avoiding sanctions. You know, they are sly characters, and they are very good at avoiding sanctions,” Trump told reporters in front of the Marines. “So we're going to see what happens.”
Asked about Witkoff’s message to Moscow if Russians can do something to avoid sanctions, Trump said on Sunday: “Yes, a deal is reached and people stop being killed.”
“A large number of Russian soldiers were killed. Ukraine, the number was low, but there were still thousands of people killed. Now, we are adding the towns they were hit by missiles. So, in that ridiculous war, a lot of people were killed.” “We stopped many countries from stopping from the war, India and Pakistan, we stopped a lot of countries. We will stop too. Somehow. We will stop. It's a very terrible war.”
“This should be the easiest to stop, this is not,” Trump added.
Trump warned Russian Security Council Vice Chairman Medvedev to “see his words” ahead of ordering the deployment of nuclear submarines last week. Medvedev complained that Trump has shortened the deadline for the Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire from 50 days to just 10 to 12 days, saying the “last-to-atum” is a threat to the war, “not between Russia and Ukraine, but his own country.”
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese and Russian warships participated in a joint naval exercise in the East China Sea on December 27, 2022. (Xu Wei/Xinhua via AP, file)
Despite Trump's warning that Medvedev entered “dangerous territory”, Russian officials mentioned Russia's “dead hands” to the automatic nuclear retaliation system developed by the Soviet Union in the Cold War era.
The United States and Russia have the largest nuclear arsenal in the world.
The Kremlin top spokesman Dmitry Peskov reportedly downplayed the U.S. deployment of nuclear submarines in the U.S. on Monday. He told reporters that “American submarines are already on a combat obligation – it's a constant process” and that the Russians “do not believe this is a situation of escalation in any form”, according to the Russian news website Meduza.
Asked about Medvedev's remarks, Peskov said that leaders of any country have different opinions, but Putin clearly determined Russia's foreign policy.
“We must handle any statements related to the nuclear issue with caution,” Peskov added at a press conference. “Russia is firmly committed to nuclear non-proliferation, and we believe that all parties should adopt the greatest restrictions in terms of nuclear rhetoric.”
Trump announces 25% tariffs on India, slamming “annoying” trade barriers, Russian military and energy
At the same time, Beijing and Moscow have deepened their ties in recent years. Faced with Western sanctions for invasion of Ukraine in 2022, China has provided Russia with an economic lifeline.
According to the Telegraph, Russia and China have begun simulated combat exercises and other war games in the Sea of Japan. The newspaper quoted a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Defense that the three-day exercise involved four Chinese vessels, including the guided destroyers Shaoxing and Urumqi, and involved “submarine rescue, anti-Soviet Birmarin, air defense and air defense operations, as well as maritime combat, and maritime patrol,” the newspaper said.
At a press conference last week announcing details of the annual exercise, Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesman Zhang Xiaoda said the air and ocean near the Russian port city of Vladivostok will hold a joint SEA 2025 exercise, which is located on the sea off Japan’s west coast. Last year, the exercise was held in southern China in the South China Sea.
“This is an arrangement in the annual cooperation plan between China and the Russian military. It is not a target of any third party and is also related to the current international and regional situation,” Zhang said.
Shortly after the war in Ukraine began, China and Russia also signed an “unrestricted” economic partnership.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Sunday, August 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia DeMary Nickinson)
Zhang criticized the U.S. Air Force for ongoing exercises with Japan and other partners in the Western Pacific. According to the U.S. military, the decisive Pacific is the largest contingency practice ever made by the Air Force in the region. The U.S. Air Force said their exercise will train its forces to stay ready and perform missions under pressure to demonstrate their ability to defend the U.S. and its partner nation in the Pacific.
Zhang told reporters: “The United States has been blindly bending muscles in the Asia-Pacific region and trying to use military exercises as an excuse to put it in trouble, intimidate and pressure other countries and undermine peace and stability in the region.”
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In its annual report earlier this month, the Japanese Ministry of Defense said that China and Russia's military cooperation is becoming increasingly serious.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Danielle Wallace is a prominent news and political journalist at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and x:@danimwallace.