Trump says Putin should end the Ukraine war, not test missiles
Trump Urges Putin to End Ukraine War, Warns of U.S. Nuclear Submarine Near Russia
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Oct. 27 (Reuters) — President Donald Trump on Monday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to focus on ending the war in Ukraine rather than testing nuclear-powered missiles, revealing that the United States has a nuclear submarine positioned off Russia’s coast.
Putin announced Sunday that Russia had successfully tested its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile — a weapon Moscow claims can evade any defense system — and is preparing to deploy it. The Kremlin said the missile, known to NATO as the SSC-X-9 “Skyfall,” traveled 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles) during its test flight.
Asked aboard Air Force One about the test, President Trump said the U.S. doesn’t need to demonstrate such range capabilities.
“They know we have a nuclear submarine, the greatest in the world, right off their shores,” Trump told reporters, according to an audio file released by the White House. “It doesn’t have to go 8,000 miles.”
The president criticized Putin’s focus on missile testing while the war in Ukraine continues.
“I don’t think it’s an appropriate thing for Putin to be saying,” Trump said. “You ought to get the war ended — the war that should have taken one week is now in its fourth year. That’s what you ought to do instead of testing missiles.”
Kremlin Responds
The Kremlin dismissed suggestions that the missile test should strain relations with Washington.
“Despite all our openness to establishing a dialogue with the United States, Russia — first of all, and the president of Russia — is guided by our own national interests,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “That’s how it was, that’s how it is, and that’s how it’s going to be.”
Peskov said Russia’s weapons program is focused solely on national security.
“There is nothing here that can and should strain relations between Moscow and Washington,” he said.
Heightened Tensions
President Trump has previously warned of escalating risks between the two nuclear powers, particularly after remarks by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev referencing the possibility of war. It is rare for either side to speak publicly about the positioning of nuclear-armed submarines.
“We test missiles all the time,” Trump said. “They’re not playing games with us, and we’re not playing games with them either.”
According to a Reuters report from Washington on Oct. 25, the Trump administration has prepared additional sanctions targeting key sectors of the Russian economy if Putin continues to delay ending the war in Ukraine.
Asked whether more sanctions are coming, President Trump replied simply:
“You’ll find out.”
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