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PTC News Desk: In a significant policy shift, US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that the United States will immediately resume nuclear testing in a bid to match other nuclear powers with a special mention of Russia and China. In a post on social media platform Truth Social, Trump said that because of other countries' testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis and that the process will begin immediately. “The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. Russia is second and China a distant third, but will be even within five years,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.”Trump said that the decision has been taken in view of the progressing atomic energies of both the nations and to match the pace with them. He also accused Russia and China of advancing their testing capabilities while the US stood still. He further claimed credit for what he described as a “complete update and renovation” of America’s nuclear arsenal during his first term, adding, “Because of the tremendous destructive power, I hated to do it, but had no choice.”The announcement marks the first planned live nuclear test by the US in over 30 years.The last nuclear test was conducted in September 1992 at the Nevada Test Site while China and Russia are not known to have held any such tests since the same era. Trump’s reference to “on an equal basis” left it unclear what weapons testing could take place, or whether he was referring to displays of power similar to those recently conducted by Russia.The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, said on Sunday that Russia had successfully tested its “unique” nuclear-propelled Burevestnik cruise missile, which can also carry a nuclear warhead. The Kremlin described it as part of efforts to “ensure the country’s national security”.
