<h1>Russian Official Warns US Against Underestimating Nuclear Deterrent Amid Trade and Sanction Tensions</h1> A former Russian president and current Security Council deputy chairman responded to the US president's criticism of Russia and India's economies and trade relations, warning against underestimating Russia's Cold War-era nuclear deterrent system known as 'dead hand.' The US president had threatened high import tariffs on Russia and its partners if a settlement on Ukraine was not reached within a set deadline, which he later shortened. The Russian official mocked these threats, emphasizing Russia's independent path and cautioning that repeated ultimatums risk escalating conflict not just with Ukraine but within the US itself. The exchange highlights heightened tensions and mutual warnings between the two nations regarding economic sanctions and geopolitical disputes.