Donald Trump announced this Friday that he has ordered the deployment of"two nuclear submarines in the appropriate areas" following comments that he considers "provocative" by former Russian President Dimitri Medvedev.

Trump and Medvedev, who is the deputy on Russia's Security Council, have traded barbs in recent days after Trump said Tuesday that Russia had"10 days from today" to agree to a cease-fire in Ukraine or face tariffs along with its oil buyers.

"I have ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these reckless and incendiary statements go any further. Words speak volumes and can often have unintended consequences. I hope this is not one of those instances," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The US president did not clarify which regions he was referring to.

In a previous post on the social network X, Medvedev had written that each new ultimatum from Donald Trump to end the war in Ukraine"is a threat and a step towards war" with the United States.

Medvedev has even hinted at the possible transfer of nuclear weapons to Iran, in addition to criticizing Trump's ultimatum. In response, the US leader suggested Medvedev"watch his words."

The Moscow Stock Exchange index fell sharply following Trump's latest remarks. At the same time, the price of Brent crude oil rose sharply, surpassing $70 per barrel.

Belarusian hints

During an informal meeting with Alexander Lukashenko on August 1, Vladimir Putin avoided directly addressing the US president's ultimatum to reach a peace deal with Ukraine."He simply formally acknowledged his support for the peace negotiations, without budging from his maximalist positions, celebrating the successes of the Russian military while simultaneously carrying out brutal attacks against civilian targets in Ukraine," explains Russian dissident and analyst Egor Kuroptev, author of the newsletter 'Eskvsdisinfo'.

In fact, it was the president of Belarus, Kuroptev notes, who gave" a mocking, Kremlin-approved response to Donald Trump's demands." Lukashenko told Putin "the statement of our mutual friend, whom we have been so worried about, Donald Trump. I remember how anxious we were for his victory, and everything that followed... Fifty, sixty, ten days... that's not how politics is done."

The Belarusian dictator noted that "if he truly wants peace, he needs to engage carefully and thoroughly," recalling that "this is a military confrontation, and you can't just give orders."