Trump Orders Immediate Nuclear Weapons Testing After 30-Year Hiatus
President Donald Trump has ordered the immediate resumption of US nuclear weapons testing, ending a 33-year pause just minutes before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping. The surprise announcement came as Trump flew to trade negotiations in Busan, South Korea, signaling a major shift in US nuclear policy.
Key Takeaways
- Trump orders immediate nuclear testing after 33-year US hiatus
- Announcement made minutes before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping
- Testing to be conducted on “equal basis” with other nuclear powers
- Russia and China cited as primary concerns in decision
Direct Presidential Order
Trump stated he was instructing the Pentagon to test the US nuclear arsenal to match other nuclear powers. “Because of other countries testing programmes, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately,” the President posted.
He specifically referenced Russia and China’s nuclear capabilities, noting: “Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years.”
Strategic Message to Global Powers
The announcement appeared targeted at both Xi Jinping, who has more than doubled China’s nuclear warhead arsenal over five years, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who recently tested new nuclear-powered weapons.
Russia — which tested a nuclear-powered cruise missile on October 21, conducted nuclear readiness drills on October 22, and tested a nuclear-powered autonomous torpedo on October 28 — responded cautiously. Moscow indicated it hoped Trump was properly informed that Russia hadn’t actually tested nuclear weapons themselves.
International Reaction
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed surprise at Trump’s justification: “President Trump mentioned in his statement that other countries are engaged in testing nuclear weapons. Until now, we didn’t know that anyone was testing.”
Putin, who commands the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, has previously stated Russia would match any nuclear testing by other countries. The development marks a significant escalation as no nuclear power besides North Korea (in 2017) has conducted explosive nuclear testing in over 25 years.
