US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he has ordered the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing to match China and Russia’s military capabilities. The decision came just minutes before his scheduled summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
The move follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim on Wednesday that Moscow successfully tested a nuclear-powered underwater drone, in defiance of US warnings.
“Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” Trump posted on social media, directly referencing Russia and China.
Trump said the United States has more nuclear weapons than any other country, crediting his administration for what he called “a complete update and renovation of existing weapons.” He added that “Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within five years.”
According to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), nine countries currently possess nuclear weapons — Russia, the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea. ICAN estimates that Russia holds over 5,500 warheads, while the US owns 5,044.
Trump did not specify the type or location of the planned tests but said they would begin “immediately.”
Putin, speaking from a Russian military hospital, said the newly tested drone, called “Poseidon,” can travel faster than submarines, dive deeper, and reach any continent, claiming it is “impossible to intercept.”
Earlier this week, Trump criticized Putin’s weapons testing, urging him to focus on ending the war in Ukraine instead of “testing missiles.”
The renewed focus on nuclear testing has raised global concerns. The United States last conducted a nuclear test in September 1992 at the Nevada Nuclear Security Site. Then-President George H.W. Bush imposed a moratorium the following month, which subsequent administrations have upheld, relying instead on computer simulations and subcritical experiments.
Trump’s announcement marks a dramatic shift in US nuclear policy, signaling growing tensions with both Moscow and Beijing. The decision comes as he meets Xi Jinping for the first time in his second term, in what observers see as a critical test for global security and diplomacy.
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