Trump urges Putin to end Ukraine war instead of testing missiles
"They know we have a nuclear submarine, the greatest in the world, right off their shores."
United States President Donald Trump on Monday called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine rather than testing nuclear-powered missiles, emphasizing that the United States already has a nuclear submarine positioned off Russia's coast.
The remarks followed Russia's recent test of the Burevestnik cruise missile, a nuclear-capable weapon Moscow says can penetrate any missile defence system. According to Russian officials, the missile, known to NATO as the SSC-X-9 Skyfall, flew 14,000 km.
"They know we have a nuclear submarine, the greatest in the world, right off their shores, so it doesn't have to go 8,000 miles," Trump said. He added that Putin should focus on ending the war, "the war that should have taken one week is now in its fourth year."
The Kremlin responded by stating that Russia acts in line with its national interests and sees no reason for the missile test to strain relations with the United States. "Russia is ensuring its own security by developing new weapons," said Dmitry Peskov.
Trump has repeatedly signaled the deployment of submarines near Russia in response to escalating tensions. He also hinted at possible additional sanctions targeting key sectors of the Russian economy if the war in Ukraine continues, saying, "You'll find out."