Donald Trump orders Pentagon to restart nuclear weapons testing in defiant move before Xi meeting
Donald Trump has ordered the US Department of Defence to resume nuclear weapons testing, declaring the move necessary to match the programs of China and Russia.
Mr Trump took to Truth Social to reveal the surprise move, “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.”
The announcement came less than an hour before Mr Trump was due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday morning, where the pair are expected to discuss efforts to de-escalate their trade war.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Mr Trump’s late-night post followed comments he made describing Vladimir Putin’s latest nuclear test as “not appropriate”.
The Russian leader had announced that Moscow successfully tested its “unique” Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile as part of what the Kremlin called efforts to “ensure the country’s national security.”
Earlier in his post, Mr Trump also incorrectly claimed that the United States possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal.
According to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Russia currently leads with more than 5500 nuclear warheads, compared with the US total of about 5,044.
The United States last conducted a full-scale nuclear test in 1992, code named Divider at what is now the Nevada National Security Site.
Then-President George HW Bush imposed a moratorium on underground testing that same year, which has remained in place for more than three decades.
