Never has a U.S. president been so radically involved in nuclear confrontation as this time. The Daily Telegraph pointed out that Donald Trump openly climbed the first step of nuclear escalation - but it caused little panic.

In normal times, this should have been an unprecedented, historic, and terrifying moment. Even during the Cold War, no U.S. president had publicly ordered nuclear submarines to approach Russian coasts.

Trump has now broken this taboo - he has pushed a qualitative change in the U.S. nuclear policy toward Russia in a nearly casual way. Although this deployment of nuclear submarines is not "a second season of the Cuban Missile Crisis," it does not mean there is no risk.

Nuclear Confrontation Escalates

Trump's actions have broken the precedent, pushing the U.S. nuclear posture toward Russia to a new level. If Putin responds in kind, it could trigger a major crisis.

Although this possibility is not high - at least Trump clearly bets that Putin will not - he is clearly copying the Kremlin's nuclear signal strategy: for years, Putin has repeatedly used nuclear threats as a diplomatic tool.

When Western pressure increased, he deployed "Iskander" missiles, which can carry nuclear warheads, to Kaliningrad, facing NATO member Poland.

In 2023, Putin became the first since the Cold War to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus and repeatedly hinted that they could be used in Ukraine.

After Russia's attack on Kyiv on July 31, which killed 31 people, the White House expected Trump to announce his comprehensive plan to respond to Russian aggression.

Trump vs. Medvedev: A War of Words

Facing Medvedev's provocation of U.S. nuclear threats, Trump made a fierce response.

"I took your words seriously." - Trump retaliated with the same tone that Russia usually uses. He issued a warning to Medvedev on social media: "Words carry weight - they often lead to unexpected consequences." This is not just bluffing, but a dangerous, performative geopolitical "nuclear game."

The Daily Telegraph analysis believes that Trump's move is not only a response to Russian provocation, but also to lay the groundwork for the next step in the strategy towards Russia. He may: announce a new plan for Russia within the next few days; push for secondary sanctions against countries such as Saudi Arabia, India, Turkey, and the UAE that purchase Russian oil;

Use the symbolic measure of "nuclear submarine deployment" to demonstrate his "toughness," to avoid actually initiating more intense economic measures. After all, rather than imposing tariffs and offending key partners, it is better to start a "nuclear war in the media" first.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1839321676941322/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.