The Kremlin wants to avoid controversy with Trump and downplays the importance of nuclear submarines.

BarcelonaThe Kremlin reacted this Monday to Trump's order to deploy two nuclear submarines off the Russian coast After a week of silence, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned at a press conference that "in a nuclear war there can be no winners." The presidential spokesman said that "everyone must be careful with nuclear rhetoric" and stated that Moscow does not want to "get involved in a controversy" with the United States on this matter. The Kremlin sought to downplay Trump's announcement, claiming that "US nuclear submarines are always on alert: it's a constant occurrence."

Last Friday, Trump ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines following "provocative statements" by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Medvedev warned X: "Every new ultimatum is a step toward war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with your own country [the United States]." Trump replied that "words are very important and can often have unintended consequences." The Kremlin defended the former president's statements, but recalled: "What is important, of course, is President Putin's position. In our country, foreign policy is formulated by the head of state."

Ukrainian authorities, for their part, have expressed their gratitude to Trump for the deployment of US submarines in Russia. The Kremlin broke its silence after Andriy Yermak, Kiev's chief of staff, remarked on X: "As soon as the US nuclear submarines appeared, a drunken Russian fell silent. Russia understands only one thing: strength."

Witkoff's new visit

In this context, US President Donald Trump announced yesterday that the US special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will visit Russia on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. The Kremlin confirmed the visit on Monday: "We are always glad to see Mr. Witkoff in Moscow and maintain contacts with them. We consider them important, significant, and very useful," Peskov stated. This week will be Witkoff's fifth official trip to Russia this year. The Ukrainian publication also Ukrainska Pravda It was leaked on Monday that the White House special representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, will travel to Kiev at the end of the week.

Witkoff's visit comes in a particularly tense context in relations between Russia and the United States, after Trump issued a statement last Tuesday ultimatum for Russia to reach a peace agreement with Ukraine within "ten or twelve days", under threat of more US sanctions and secondary tariffs on Russian oil imports; despite Trump's assertion that Moscow "seems quite capable of avoiding sanctions." The Kremlin responded to the threat with another massive bombing on UkraineHowever, Peskov assured this Monday that "dialogue continues, the United States continues working to mediate in the search for a solution to the Ukrainian problem"; efforts he described as "very important."