President Donald Trump set off a global stir on Thursday after ordering the United States to resume nuclear weapons testing. The surprise move immediately rattled rivals, and raised fears of a new arms race between the world’s major nuclear powers.
Coming from a leader who often calls himself a “peace president,” and appeared to be in the race for Nobel Peace prize, the directive surprised even his closest advisers.
The timing of the announcement did little to help matters, coming just as Trump was heading into a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea – and only days after Russia claimed to have tested a nuclear-capable cruise missile and a nuclear-powered, nuclear-capable sea drone.
Trump did offer a reason — that other countries were doing it too. In his post on Truth Social, Trump said, “Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the department of war to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis.”
The statement, however, did not clarify whether he meant technical system tests or full-scale nuclear detonations, which is something the US hasn’t carried out since 1992.
{{/usCountry}}The statement, however, did not clarify whether he meant technical system tests or full-scale nuclear detonations, which is something the US hasn’t carried out since 1992.
{{/usCountry}}Beijing was quick to respond. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, according to news agency AFP, urged Washington to “earnestly abide” by the global nuclear testing ban, referring to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which the US has signed but not ratified.
Russia will ‘act accordingly’
The Kremlin, meanwhile, appeared both dismissive and wary. Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov questioned whether Trump had been accurately briefed, saying, “The recent weapons drills cannot in any way be interpreted as a nuclear test. We hope that the information was conveyed correctly to President Trump.”
But he also hinted that Moscow might follow suit if Washington went ahead with live detonations. “If someone departs from the moratorium, Russia will act accordingly,” Peskov warned.
Trump’s nuclear claims don’t match the data
Trump went on to claim that the United States now possesses “more nuclear weapons than any other country,” crediting his administration with boosting the arsenal. But independent data tells a different story.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia currently holds around 5,489 nuclear warheads, compared to 5,177 for the United States and 600 for China.
SIPRI also noted that Moscow and the Washington together possess around 90% of all nuclear weapons.
In another part of his post, Trump asserted that China would “be even within five years,” suggesting Beijing was closing the gap.
A decades-long testing freeze at stake
The United States last conducted a nuclear test in September 1992. Then-President George HW Bush imposed a moratorium the following month, and every administration since has upheld it.
It also remains the only nation ever to use atomic weapons in warfare with two nuclear attacks on Japan during World War II.
Since then, the US has relied on subcritical tests and advanced computer simulations to ensure the reliability of its nuclear arsenal without live detonations.
The CTBT, signed in 1996, bans all nuclear explosions, military or civilian. While the US has not ratified the treaty, it has long observed its spirit, maintaining a de facto testing ban for over three decades.