WASHINGTON 

President Donald Trump said Friday he directed the deployment of two US nuclear submarines to "the appropriate regions" amid an escalating war of words with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

"Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that," he wrote on social media.

"Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances," he added.

Later, as he departed the White House for his weekend break at his Bedminster Golf Club in the state of New Jersey, Trump told reporters that “a threat was made by a former President of Russia (Medvedev), and we are going to protect our people.”

Medvedev lashed out at Trump on Monday, warning that the US president’s escalating pressure on the Kremlin about the war in Ukraine risks triggering a broader conflict, not just between Russia and Ukraine, but between Russia and the US.

He wrote on X: "50 days or 10 … He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn't Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don't go down the Sleepy Joe road!"

The former Russian president stepped up his warnings in a separate Telegram post, raising the specter of the Soviet Union's Cold War "Dead Hand" system, which automated nuclear strikes if the Soviet leadership was incapacitated.

The system is said to still be operational.