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President Donald Trump seemed to hint at the US resuming nuclear weapons testing for the first time in three decades, stating it would be on an "equal basis" with Russia and China. There was no clear sign that the U.S. would begin detonating warheads, but the president provided scant details about what appeared to be a significant shift in U.S. policy. He broadcasted this announcement on social media just moments before his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday in South Korea. While the U.S. military routinely tests its missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, it has refrained from detonating these weapons since 1992 due to a test ban. However, the president implied that changes were necessary due to other nations conducting weapons tests. His reference was unclear, but it conjured images of Cold War-era escalations. "Because of other countries testing programmes, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis," he stated in a post on Truth Social. "That process will begin immediately." The White House did not promptly respond to queries seeking further details, and Trump sidestepped a reporter's question about his post during his face-to-face meeting with Xi in Busan, a meeting anticipated to centre around trade issues between the two nations. Pentagon officials also did not immediately respond to questions regarding Trump's announcement about the nuclear missile tests. Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed this week that Russia had trialled a cutting-edge atomic-powered underwater drone capable of carrying nuclear warheads, alongside a new nuclear-powered cruise missile. Putin stopped short of announcing any nuclear weapons tests, however, with Russia's last such test dating back to 1990. Whilst Trump didn't directly reference the Russian trials in his statement, he made veiled references to the nuclear arsenals under Xi and Putin's control, declaring: "Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years." In 2023, Putin put pen to paper on legislation withdrawing Russia's backing of a worldwide nuclear test prohibition, with Moscow claiming this move was essential to level the playing field with America. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, established in 1996 and prohibiting all nuclear detonations globally, received President Bill Clinton's signature but has never secured Senate approval. Russia stated in 2023 that it would only restart nuclear weapons testing if Washington took the first step. Earlier this year, Trump hinted at his desire to steer his Russian and Chinese counterparts in the opposite direction, expressing his wish to restart nuclear arms limitation discussions with both nations. Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Washington-based Arms Control Association, swiftly condemned the president's declaration, branding Trump as "misinformed and out of touch." In a series of social media posts, Kimball stated that the U.S. has no grounds to restart nuclear explosive testing and it would require at least 36 months to recommence testing at the former Nevada site, where the last detonations took place underground. "By foolishly announcing his intention (to) resume nuclear testing, Trump will trigger strong public opposition in Nevada, from all U.S. allies, and it could trigger a chain reaction of nuclear testing by U.S. adversaries, and blow apart the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty," Kimball warned in a post on X. For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters .
