U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he has directed the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing on par with Russia and China — just moments before a highly anticipated summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump’s order follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declaration on Wednesday that Moscow had successfully tested a nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater drone, defying repeated warnings from Washington.
“Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis,” Trump wrote on social media, referencing both Russia and China.
The former president boasted that the United States still holds the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, crediting his administration with “a complete update and renovation of existing weapons.”
“Russia is second, and China is a distant third but will be even within five years,” Trump added.
According to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), nine nations currently possess nuclear arms: the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea.
ICAN estimates that of the world’s roughly 12,331 nuclear warheads, Russia holds about 5,580 while the United States possesses around 5,044.
Trump’s announcement coming just before his meeting with Xi — is expected to heighten tensions between Washington, Moscow, and Beijing, and could complicate ongoing diplomatic efforts to limit nuclear proliferation.
