Trump Directs U.S. To Resume Nuclear Weapons Testing

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he has directed the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing at a level comparable to that of China and Russia — just minutes before a crucial summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The decision follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declaration on Wednesday that Moscow had successfully tested a nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater drone, defying warnings from Washington.

“In response to other nations’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to begin testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis,” Trump wrote in a social media post referencing Russia and China.

Trump emphasized that the United States possesses more nuclear weapons than any other country, crediting his administration for a “complete modernization and renovation of existing weapons.”

He noted, “Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will catch up within five years.”

According to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), nine nations currently possess nuclear arsenals — the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea. Of approximately 12,331 nuclear warheads globally, Russia holds about 5,580 while the U.S. possesses around 5,044.

Trump did not specify the nature of the planned nuclear tests but said the process would “begin immediately.”

Putin had earlier announced the successful testing of a nuclear-powered underwater drone known as “Poseidon,” claiming it could travel faster than conventional submarines, dive to extreme depths, and strike any target across continents.

After Russia’s missile tests, Trump criticized Putin, urging him to end the war in Ukraine “instead of testing missiles.”

Historically, the United States conducted 1,054 nuclear tests between 1945 and 1992, including two wartime detonations in Japan during World War II. The last U.S. nuclear test occurred in September 1992 at the Nevada Nuclear Security Site before President George H.W. Bush imposed a moratorium, later upheld by subsequent administrations.

Since then, nuclear testing has been replaced with advanced non-nuclear and computer-simulated experiments.

Trump is currently in South Korea for a high-level meeting with Xi Jinping, marking the first direct encounter between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies in his second term.