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After Putin's 'unlimited range' missile, Trump orders 'immediate' nuke testing
Trump said, “Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years.”
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that he has ordered the Department of War (previously Department of Defense) to begin testing the country's nuclear weapons amid the recent such tests conducted by Russia and other countries.
Noting that the US's nuclear weapons underwent a complete update and renovation during his first term in the White House, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he “hated” to do the testing again due to their “tremendous destructive power”.
However, he said, he was left with no choice as Russia is second and China “is a distant third”, adding that Beijing will also be even within five years. Trump said that because other countries are testing nuclear programs, he has also ordered the Department of War to “immediately” begin the process of testing America's nuclear weapons on an equal basis.
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His Truth Social post read: “The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office. Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years. 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Trump's move comes just days after Russia tested a new nuclear-capable and nuclear-powered cruise missile, the Burevestnik.
Russia’s chief of general staff, Gen Valery Gerasimov, had briefed Putin, saying that the missile had covered 14,000 kilometres during its testing on Tuesday and that it had spent 15 hours in the air, but "that's not the limit", he told the Russian leader.
The 9M730 Burevestnik is a ground-launched and low-flying cruise missile, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, and is also nuclear-powered. The missile can fly longer and farther than traditional turbofan engines, giving it time to "loiter" for an extended period before hitting its target.
The missile project was first revealed in 2018, with Putin saying that it has an unlimited range and can also evade US defences.
In reaction to Russia's successful test of the nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, Trump had said that Putin should end the war in Ukraine instead of conducting such tests.
The US President also said that Washington had a nuclear submarine positioned off Russia's coast. “They know we have a nuclear submarine, the greatest in the world, right off their shores, so I mean, it doesn't have to go 8,000 miles,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that despite its "openness" to dialogue with the US, Russia and Putin were always "guided by our national interests". He said that this is the way it has always been, and it will always remain this way.
