Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia may consider resuming nuclear tests if the United States proceeds with similar actions. He made this known on Wednesday during a meeting of Russia’s Security Council, convened in response to comments by US President Donald Trump.
The statement adds a new chapter to the rising nuclear tension between the two largest nuclear powers, as both leaders continue to clash over global security issues and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Putin instructed Russia’s defence and foreign ministries, along with security agencies, to gather intelligence and prepare proposals on the “possible start of preparation works for nuclear weapons tests.”
Russia last conducted a nuclear test in 1990, a year before the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Trump had posted on social media last week that he had directed the Pentagon to “start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis” with Russia and China, though it remains unclear if he meant actual nuclear warhead detonations or non-explosive tests.
During the meeting, Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov proposed that Russia “begin immediate preparations” for possible nuclear testing in Novaya Zemlya, an Arctic archipelago long used as a test site during the Soviet era.
Putin responded that Russia would mirror any US move to resume nuclear testing, reaffirming a stance he has maintained in past statements.
In October, Putin personally oversaw drills involving nuclear-capable missiles, though those exercises did not include live warheads.
Meanwhile, Trump has been pushing to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict since returning to the White House in January. Despite multiple attempts at negotiation, no breakthrough has been achieved, and tensions between the two leaders have reportedly increased.
Aside from North Korea, no country has conducted a live nuclear explosion in the 21st century, as most nations adhere to the global moratorium established by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
If either the US or Russia breaks that precedent, it could mark the most serious escalation in nuclear posturing since the Cold War.
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