Threats from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last week, warning President Donald Trump about Russia’s nuclear weapons, warranted Trump’s responding announcement that he would send U.S. nuclear submarines into Russian waters, Fred Fleitz, a former National Security Council chief of staff under the president, said on Newsmax on Sunday. 

“These comments by Dmitry Medvedev, and he is essentially [Vladimir] Putin’s deputy, that Russia may use nuclear weapons against the U.S, that every Trump ultimatum brings the two nations closer to war, these are unacceptable and very dangerous statements,” Fleitz told Newsmax’s “Sunday Report.”

This meant Trump had to respond strongly to “demonstrate his leadership and that he’s not going to be the paper tiger,” plus use deterrence to make it clear that America would not accept Medvedev’s rhetoric, like former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama would have done, he added. 

Read more at Newsmax© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.