The Resumption of Nuclear Testing and the Escalation of Global Tensions
In a recent announcement, former President Donald Trump has declared that the United States will significantly increase its nuclear testing efforts. This move comes as part of an effort to counter the growing nuclear capabilities of Russia and China in the ongoing arms race. The president made this statement on his social media platform, Truth Social, just before a scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump emphasized the strength of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, stating, "The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country." He attributed this to a complete update and renovation of existing weapons during his first term in office. However, he expressed reluctance, saying, "Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice!"
He also highlighted the progress of other countries, particularly Russia and China. "Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years," he said. In response, Trump instructed the Department of War to begin testing nuclear weapons on an equal basis, starting immediately.
During a press briefing on Air Force One, Trump addressed the recent Russian missile test, which was dubbed the 'Flying Chernobyl' by some media outlets. He noted that the U.S. already has a nuclear submarine stationed near Russian shores, suggesting that there's no need for missiles to travel such long distances. "They know we have a nuclear submarine, the greatest in the world, right off their shores, so I mean, [our missile] doesn't have to go 8,000 miles," he remarked.
Trump also criticized Putin for focusing on missile tests instead of working towards ending the war in Ukraine. "I don't think it's an appropriate thing for Putin to be saying, either, by the way: You ought to get the war ended, the war that should have taken one week is now in... its fourth year, that's what you ought to do instead of testing missiles."
In response, the Kremlin asserted that Russia would continue to act in its national interests. "Despite all our openness to establishing a dialogue with the United States, Russia, first of all, and the president of Russia, is guided by our own national interests," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. He added that there is nothing in Russia's actions that should strain relations between Moscow and Washington.
Trump has previously mentioned the possibility of moving U.S. submarines closer to Russia’s coast, following remarks from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev about the risk of conflict between nuclear-armed nations. It is rare for either side to publicly discuss the locations of their nuclear-armed submarines.
Speaking about the Russian missile test, Trump stated, "We test missiles all the time." He added, "They're not playing games with us and we're not playing games with them either."
On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the successful secret test flight of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile on October 21. During a late-night visit to a war command post, Putin spoke about the weapon while being briefed on the Ukrainian frontline by Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov.
At the same time, Russian missiles targeted residential areas in Kyiv, resulting in the deaths of at least three sleeping civilians and injuring nearly 30 others, including seven children. Putin also revealed details of nuclear war drills conducted by his forces over the past week, boasting about the modernity of Russia's nuclear deterrent forces.
"well, it would probably be no exaggeration to say that it is at a higher level than all nuclear states," he claimed. He described a missile capable of flying for days and countering all current Western defenses.
The U.S. has not conducted a real-world test of a nuclear bomb since 1992. After decades of declining nuclear stockpiles, there are concerns that more countries, including India, Pakistan, and North Korea, may be entering a new nuclear arms race.
As of 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy reported that America has 3,748 nuclear warheads. However, the nonpartisan Arms Control Association estimated that the number was significantly higher, putting the total at 5,225 as of January 2025.
Progress on a treaty banning the testing of nuclear weapons has stalled, and there is evidence that world powers are advancing their nuclear rearmament efforts. Most of America's plutonium has been stored for decades, raising concerns about radioactive decay damaging unused weapons.
Plutonium has five common isotopes with varying decay rates, ranging from 87 years to over 24,000 years, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
This is a developing story.
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