Russia Prepares Nuclear Tests After Trump Announcement

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday directed top government and security officials to draft proposals on possible nuclear weapons testing, following President Donald Trump’s recent announcement that the United States would resume such tests.

Speaking at a meeting of the Security Council in the capital, Moscow, Putin said Russia had faithfully adhered to its commitments under the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

However, he warned that if the United States or any other nuclear-armed country resumes testing, Russia would respond in kind.

“I am instructing the Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry, the special services, and relevant civilian agencies to collect additional information on this issue, analyse it at the Security Council, and present agreed proposals on the possible start of work on preparing for nuclear weapons tests,” Putin said.

Defence Minister Andrei Belousov told the president that recent U.S. statements and actions made it “advisable to prepare for full-scale nuclear tests” without delay. He said Russia’s Arctic testing range at Novaya Zemlya could accommodate such operations on short notice.

Russia last conducted a nuclear test in 1990 under the Soviet Union, while the United States’ most recent test was in 1992. Post-Soviet Russia has never resumed testing, maintaining compliance with the CTBT, though it has not been ratified by Washington.

Trump’s remarks last week reignited global concern about a potential breakdown of decades of restraint on nuclear detonations.

Posting on Truth Social, the U.S. president said he had “instructed the Department of War to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis,” prompting speculation that Washington might abandon its long-standing moratorium.

However, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright later clarified that the planned tests would not involve nuclear explosions.

Speaking on Fox News’ Sunday Briefing, Wright said the administration was focused on “system” tests—noncritical experiments designed to verify the performance of delivery systems and non-nuclear components of the weapons.

“These are not nuclear explosions. They are tests of all the other parts of a nuclear weapon to ensure they deliver the correct geometry and setup for the nuclear detonation,” Wright emphasised.

Still, Trump declined to give a definitive answer when asked if he intended to authorise underground nuclear detonations, telling reporters aboard Air Force One, “You’ll find out very soon.”

The U.S. military has continued to conduct routine tests of missile systems capable of carrying nuclear warheads but has not carried out an actual nuclear explosion since 1992.

The CTBT, though signed by the United States, has never been ratified by the U.S. Senate, leaving its legal force in question.