Donald Trump has sparked an international dispute by claiming, without evidence, that “Russia’s testing, and China’s testing” nuclear weapons in secret. This allegation formed the basis for his announcement that the U.S. would also resume testing.
During a television appearance, Trump alleged that rivals were conducting tests “way underground where people don’t know exactly what’s happening.” He insisted that despite a lack of public knowledge, the U.S. could not afford to be “the only country that doesn’t test.”
China immediately fired back at the claims. The nation’s foreign ministry issued a statement declaring China a “responsible nuclear-weapons state” that has strictly “abided by its commitment to suspend nuclear testing.”
The U.S. policy change was first announced on Truth Social. Trump wrote, “Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis.”
This sudden move has led to widespread confusion, as it is unclear if “testing” means computational simulations or a physical nuclear explosion. The order comes amid heightened tensions, following Russia’s test of its Burevestnik nuclear-powered missile.