- Trump ordered the Pentagon to "immediately" resume explosive nuclear testing, potentially ending a 33-year moratorium.
- He cited Russian and Chinese advances as justification, framing the move as strategic strength ahead of talks with Xi.
- Experts warn tests could undermine nonproliferation, spark a global arms race, and strain U.S. modernization budgets.
GYEONGJU, South Korea — In a stark escalation of nuclear saber-rattling, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he has directed the Pentagon to “immediately” resume testing of U.S. nuclear weapons, citing advances by Russia and China as the impetus.
The directive, posted to his Truth Social platform just hours before a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, marks a potential end to a 33-year moratorium on explosive nuclear tests and has sent ripples through international diplomacy.
“Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately,” Trump wrote.
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He added that the U.S. possesses “more Nuclear Weapons than any other country,” a claim that experts say overstates the case, with Russia holding the largest confirmed stockpile of over 5,500 warheads compared to the U.S.’s roughly 5,044.
The announcement came amid Trump’s ongoing Asia tour, including stops in Malaysia and Japan, and as he prepared for bilateral talks with Xi on trade and security issues at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit here.
It follows a series of provocative moves by Moscow, including Russia’s recent tests of advanced nuclear delivery systems, which Trump has repeatedly criticized.
Just days earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed that Moscow had successfully tested its Poseidon nuclear-powered super torpedo — an unmanned underwater vehicle designed to create massive radioactive tsunamis along enemy coastlines — during exercises on Tuesday.
Putin, speaking from a military command post, described the reactor powering the device as “100 times smaller” than those on traditional submarines, emphasizing its stealth and destructive potential.
This came on the heels of an October 21 test of the Burevestnik nuclear-capable cruise missile, a low-flying weapon that can evade defenses, and nuclear launch drills on October 22.
Russia’s massive nuclear arsenal on the Kola Peninsula is not just a relic of Cold War paranoia but a pointed threat, aimed squarely at NATO’s northern flank – including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Norway itself.
This revelation, shared in a recent interview, underscores a growing unease that the Arctic, once a zone of tentative cooperation on climate and resources, is hardening into a frontline of geopolitical rivalry.
US Builds Nuclear-Powered Submarines
Trump, aboard Air Force One en route from Tokyo, had dismissed the Burevestnik test as “not appropriate” on Monday, urging Putin to prioritize ending the war in Ukraine over such demonstrations.
“That’s what he should do instead of testing missiles,” Trump told reporters, noting that the U.S. maintains a nuclear submarine “right off their shores.”
Analysts see Putin’s back-to-back announcements as a direct response to Trump’s hardening stance on Russia, including fresh sanctions and stalled summit plans.
Beijing, meanwhile, looms large in Trump’s calculus. He warned in his post that while China ranks “a distant third” in nuclear capabilities, it “will be even within 5 years.”
The timing of the U.S. announcement — less than two hours before Trump’s sit-down with Xi — appeared designed to project strength during what could be tense negotiations over tariffs and technology transfers.
“They’re not playing games with us, and we’re not playing games with them either,” Trump said in a separate remark Wednesday.
The U.S. hasn’t conducted a full-scale nuclear test since September 23, 1992, when the “Divider” shot exploded underground at the Nevada Test Site — now known as the Nevada National Security Site.
That moratorium, initiated by President George H.W. Bush, aligned with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which the U.S. signed but has yet to ratify.
India, like the U.S., never signed the treaty, and its 2026 anniversary could heighten global scrutiny if tests resume.
What Does Resuming Nuclear Tests Mean?
Resuming tests would provide critical data on the reliability of aging warheads and the performance of new designs, but experts warn it could unravel nonproliferation efforts.
“Apart from providing technical data, such a test would be seen in Russia and China as a deliberate assertion of U.S. strategic power,” Reuters reported.
The Arms Control Association estimates the U.S. has 5,225 total warheads as of January 2025, with ongoing modernization efforts already straining budgets.
This isn’t Trump’s first brush with nuclear brinkmanship. During his first term, he pushed for a nearly tenfold expansion of the arsenal and criticized arms control pacts like New START.
Last year, former National Security Adviser Robert C. O’Brien advocated in Foreign Affairs for live tests to verify weapon safety, arguing computer simulations fall short.
“Washington must test new nuclear weapons for reliability and safety in the real world for the first time since 1992,” O’Brien wrote.
Should Americans Be Worried?
Broader concerns about Trump’s nuclear agenda have simmered throughout 2025.
In May, he signed executive orders to streamline testing for advanced nuclear reactors at Department of Energy labs, aiming to deploy pilot projects by July 4, 2026, as part of a push for “energy dominance” to fuel AI data centers and counter China.
One order facilitates construction on federal lands and expedites environmental reviews, while another boosts uranium mining and enrichment.
Critics have raised alarms over proposals to repurpose plutonium from the weapons stockpile for commercial reactors, potentially weakening deterrence.
On Tuesday, the administration unveiled an $80 billion partnership with Westinghouse Electric to build new AP1000 reactors, echoing Trump’s vow for a “nuclear renaissance.”
Energy Secretary Chris Wright hailed it as key to “winning the global A.I. race,” but environmental groups decry the costs and risks compared to renewables.
As for reactions, the Kremlin has remained defiant. Putin’s Poseidon reveal was framed as a “successful test” for national security, with no direct comment on Trump’s order yet.
In Washington, the Pentagon has not publicly responded, though The Hill reported outreach for comment went unanswered.
Arms control advocates, like those at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, warn that resuming tests could spark a “global chain reaction,” eroding norms and heightening war risks.
The U.S. pioneered the atomic age with the 1945 Trinity test in New Mexico, followed by the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended World War II.
Eight decades later, Trump’s move revives ghosts of that era, testing not just weapons but the fragile balance of global power. As one analyst put it, the world is watching to see if this is bluster or the spark of a new arms race.
Also Read: Russia’s Massive Nuclear Arsenal is Now Pointed at US
