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Joint military drills are currently taking place in the Sea of Japan by Russia and China, following President Donald Trump’s announcement that he had deployed U.S. nuclear submarines in response to threats from Vladimir Putin’s ally.
These exercises were planned before Trump denounced former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s nuclear threats as “foolish and inflammatory.” However, they signify deepening military cooperation between the two countries amid growing tensions between Moscow and Washington following Trump’s announcement.
Retired U.S. Vice Admiral Robert Murrett told Newsweek that Trump’s deployment of submarines could reflect a minor shift in the overall posture of U.S. nuclear forces.
The drills include joint artillery and anti-submarine exercises involving Russian and Chinese warships, diesel-electric submarines from both nations, and a Chinese submarine rescue ship. Four Chinese vessels, including guided-missile destroyers Shaoxing and Urumqi, participated according to China’s Defense Ministry.
These maneuvers follow Trump’s comments on Friday that he had ordered the deployment of U.S. nuclear submarines in response to Medvedev’s “highly provocative” statements about a possible war between Russia and the United States. Medvedev, who was Russian president from 2008 to 2012 and is now deputy chairman of the Federation Council, issued a veiled nuclear threat referring to the “Dead Hand” system of retaliatory nuclear strikes created during the Soviet era.
Murrett noted that any shift in nuclear posture should be carefully calibrated. However, he added that such shifts pale in comparison to some of the nuclear posturing that took place between the U.S. and Russia throughout the Cold War.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense warned that China’s military cooperation with Russia poses serious security concerns. Meanwhile, Medvedev has not posted on social media since July 31, and Russian media outlets have largely not reacted to his spat with Trump, suggesting a truce in their online war of words.
