In a shocking announcement, US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to immediately resume nuclear weapons testing after more than three decades a move that could reshape global security dynamics and revive fears of a new arms race.
Trump made the declaration on Thursday via Truth Social while aboard Marine One en route to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping for trade talks in Busan, South Korea. He said the United States would test its nuclear arsenal “on an equal basis” with other nuclear powers, suggesting that Russia and China’s expanding programs had prompted the decision.
“Because other countries are testing, I’ve instructed the Department of War to begin testing our nuclear weapons immediately,” Trump stated, adding that the US must “keep pace with global competitors.”
The announcement sparked immediate international concern. A senior Russian lawmaker warned that Trump’s order signaled the start of a “new era of unpredictability,” while China’s Foreign Ministry urged Washington to honor its commitment to the global moratorium on nuclear testing and maintain strategic stability.
It remains unclear whether Trump’s directive refers to full scale nuclear explosive testing or missile flight testing. No major nuclear power, apart from North Korea, has conducted explosive nuclear tests in more than 25 years.
Speaking later aboard Air Force One, Trump defended the move, saying it was necessary to ensure American defense superiority. “With others testing, I think it’s appropriate that we do too,” he said, noting that test sites would be announced later. He added that he still supported “denuclearization,” but claimed the US must not fall behind: “Russia is second, China’s third, but they’ll catch up in five years.”
The decision follows China’s rapid expansion of its nuclear stockpile, which has reportedly doubled from 300 to over 600 warheads in five years. Russia, meanwhile, recently tested a nuclear-powered torpedo and a long-range cruise missile. Analysts warn that Trump’s order could reignite Cold War style tensions and undermine global disarmament treaties.
Reactions within the US were equally critical. Nevada Democrat Dina Titus vowed to introduce legislation to block nuclear testing, while Daryl Kimball, head of the Arms Control Association, called Trump’s move “misinformed and dangerous.” He warned that it could “trigger a chain reaction of nuclear testing” and “blow apart” the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The United States last conducted an explosive nuclear test in 1992. Since then, nuclear powers including Russia and China have refrained from such activity under the global moratorium. Experts say it would take at least three years for the US to restart testing at its former Nevada test site.
Trump’s bold order, coming amid strained relations with both Moscow and Beijing, marks one of the most controversial shifts in US defense policy in decades one that could redefine the global nuclear landscape for years to come.
