President Trump Orders Pentagon To Resume Nuclear Tests To Match Russia and China
President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States will resume testing nuclear weapons, a move he described as necessary to keep pace with rival nations. The announcement came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a successful trial of Moscow’s new underwater nuclear system known as Poseidon.
Speaking before leaving South Korea on the final leg of his Asia trip, President Trump said he had ordered the Department of War—formerly the Department of Defense—to restart testing programs “because other countries are testing their systems.” Posting on his Truth Social platform, President Trump claimed the United States “has more nuclear weapons than any other country,” listing Russia second and China “a distant third, but will catch up in five years.” He said testing “will begin immediately.”
The statement marked a potential end to Washington’s decades-long voluntary moratorium on nuclear explosive testing, in place since 1992. President Trump’s remarks were issued hours before his planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, adding new tension to an already complex diplomatic schedule.
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Putin’s announcement of the Poseidon test described an underwater drone powered by a nuclear reactor and capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The weapon, first unveiled several years ago, is part of Russia’s drive to modernize its nuclear arsenal.
President Trump’s call for renewed testing follows reports that China, Russia, and the United States have all expanded facilities at their respective test sites in recent years. Analysts have noted that while none of the three major powers has conducted a nuclear explosion since the 1990s, each continues to develop advanced delivery systems for warheads.
North Korea, which last conducted a nuclear test in 2017, recently said it was strengthening its “nuclear combat posture.” The United States, meanwhile, carried out four tests of its nuclear-capable Trident missiles in September.
President Trump’s directive signals a dramatic shift in American nuclear policy, raising questions about the future of arms-control agreements and the stability of global deterrence at a time when rival powers are modernizing their arsenals.
