Trump Orders Resumption of US Nuclear Weapons Testing After 30-Year Pause

US President Donald Trump announced that he has ordered the military to resume nuclear weapons testing after more than 30 years, citing other countries’ testing programs. The move marks a major shift in US policy, though he gave no details suggesting actual detonations would occur. Russia and China have both urged restraint, warning the decision could destabilize global security and violate long-standing arms control agreements.

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he has instructed the US military to immediately resume nuclear weapons testing after more than 30 years. He made the announcement on his Truth Social platform shortly before a scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and just days after criticizing Russia for conducting a nuclear-powered missile test.

In his post, Trump stated, “Because of other countries’ testing programmes, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.” He emphasized that the United States possesses more nuclear weapons than any other nation, with Russia in second place and China a “distant third,” though he added that China could catch up within four or five years.

While Trump’s statement appeared to signal a major shift in Washington’s long-standing nuclear policy, he provided no details to indicate that the United States plans to resume the detonation of nuclear warheads. The US military already conducts regular missile tests to ensure the readiness of delivery systems, but it has not carried out an actual nuclear detonation since 1992.

In response, Moscow said that all nations have the right to develop their defense systems and claimed that its recent weapons tests were “not nuclear.” Russia also cautioned that it would “act accordingly” if the United States violates the Cold War-era moratorium on nuclear testing, which has been in place for decades. The Kremlin’s statement underscores growing tensions between the two nuclear powers amid escalating global military competition.

China reacted by urging the US to honor its commitments under the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which prohibits all nuclear explosions. The United States signed the treaty but has never ratified it, although it has abided by its terms since its adoption. Beijing expressed hope that Washington would continue observing the testing ban to avoid destabilizing global arms control agreements.

Experts and international observers have expressed concern that Trump’s decision could reignite a new nuclear arms race, destabilizing global security and undermining decades of efforts toward nuclear disarmament. The United States, Russia, and China possess the world’s largest nuclear arsenals, and any shift in testing policy could have far-reaching geopolitical consequences.

Currently, North Korea remains the only country to have conducted an actual nuclear test in the 21st century, with its last detonation occurring in 2017. The resumption of US testing could potentially encourage other nations to follow suit, eroding the international consensus that has largely prevented nuclear explosions for more than three decades.