Talk of mounting nuclear readiness towards Russia could overshadow more trifling domestic matters, like the Epstein scandal, for instance.

Dmitry Medvedev said President Trump is "playing the ultimatum game with Russia" in pressuring for an end to the war on Ukraine.

Trump also rebuked Medvedev in July, accusing him of throwing around the "N (nuclear) word" after the Russian official criticised U.S. strikes on Iran and said "a number of countries" were ready to supply Iran with nuclear warheads.