Ex-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has attributed Moscow’s decision to end a long-standing moratorium on missile deployment to NATO’s actions.

Earlier this week, Russia’s foreign ministry declared it would no longer adhere to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The U.S. exited the treaty in 2019, but Russian officials had previously committed to refraining from deploying short- and medium-range nuclear missiles as long as the U.S. did the same.

“The Russian Foreign Ministry’s announcement of lifting the moratorium on deploying medium- and short-range missiles results from NATO countries’ anti-Russian policies,” Medvedev posted on X on Sunday.

“This is a new reality all our opponents will have to reckon with. Expect further steps,” he added.

In response, Trump announced that the U.S. was redeploying two nuclear submarines to “appropriate regions” closer to Moscow.

The Kremlin released a statement downplaying Medvedev’s comments soon afterward.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime says it approaches nuclear issues with “great caution.” (ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images)

“We handle any nuclear-related statements with significant caution,” stated Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. “As you know, Russia assumes a responsible stance. President Putin’s position is well recognized.”

“Russia treats the issue of nuclear non-proliferation with utmost seriousness,” he continued. “Naturally, we believe everyone must exercise extreme diligence when discussing nuclear topics.”