The ramifications of such a policy are unclear since no country other than North Korea has conducted nuclear tests since the 1990s.
President Donald Trump on Thursday said he’s ordered the Defense Department to begin testing nuclear weapons “on an equal basis” with other countries, according to a post on his social media platform.
The ramifications of such a policy are unclear since no country other than North Korea has conducted nuclear tests since the 1990s.
Trump, in a Thursday morning post to Truth Social, made the announcement just ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, South Korea.
“Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Pentagon to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” Trump wrote. “That process will begin immediately.”
The president specifically compared the U.S. nuclear arsenal to those of Russia and China, referring to them as “second” and “a distant third,” respectively.
However, under a de facto moratorium — largely a result of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty — neither the United States nor Russia and China have conducted nuclear testing for decades.
Russia last tested a nuclear device in 1990, the U.S. in 1992 and China in 1996. All three countries are signatories to the treaty, but none have since ratified it, according to the United Nations’ website.
Trump may have been referencing Russia’s test of its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile. Moscow claims the nuclear-capable missile, first announced in 2018, has unlimited range and can circle enemy air defenses to allow it to attack from unexpected angles, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.
The missile — code-named “Skyfall” by NATO — was plagued by reported launch failures, but Russia’s chief military officer Gen. Valery Gerasimov reported a successful Oct. 21 test of the missile, according to the AP.
Nuclear testing, however, typically refers to the intentional detonation of a nuclear weapon. Since the moratorium, only 10 tests have taken place globally: two by India and two by Pakistan in 1998, and six by North Korea between 2006 and 2017. None are signatories to the treaty, although India and Pakistan have established individual moratoriums on testing, according to the U.N.
A spokesperson for the White House did not immediately respond to an email requesting additional information on Thursday. A recorded message at the White House switchboard said it is not accepting calls during the government shutdown.
- Security