Donald Trump defended his plan to restart US nuclear testing, saying America cannot be the only power not conducting tests while Russia and China expand their arsenals.
US President Donald Trump has defended his decision to restart nuclear testing in the United States, saying that Russia and Chinaโs growing nuclear programs leave America with โno choiceโ but to act. In an interview with CBSโ 60 Minutes, Trump said the US cannot afford to be โthe only country that doesnโt testโ while others continue to strengthen their nuclear capabilities. The presidentโs comments came shortly before his scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Earlier on Sunday, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social, directing the Department of Defense to โstart nuclear testing immediately.โ Defending the move, Trump said, โWe have more nuclear weapons than any other country. I think we should work towards denuclearization, and Iโve discussed that with both President Putin and President Xi. But we canโt be the only ones not testing.โ
He added that while Russia and North Korea continue to conduct nuclear tests, the US has followed a self-imposed pause for decades. โWeโre the only country that doesnโt test, and I donโt want to be that country,โ he said.
Last US test held in 1992
The United States last conducted a nuclear test in September 1992, during Operation Julin, a series of seven underground detonations. Soon after, the US joined global negotiations for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) an international agreement that bans all nuclear explosions for military or civilian purposes.
Although the US signed the CTBT, it has not ratified it. In total, 187 countries have signed the treaty, and 178 have ratified it.
Trumpโs call to resume testing has drawn skepticism from defense circles and lawmakers. On Capitol Hill, Vice Admiral Richard Correll, the nominee to lead US Strategic Command (STRATCOM), told lawmakers that Russia and China have not carried out nuclear explosive tests in recent years.
โI believe the quote was โstart testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis.โ Neither China nor Russia has conducted a nuclear explosive test, so Iโm not reading too much into it,โ he said during his confirmation hearing.
Russiaโs missile test adds to tensions
Trumpโs announcement also came amid reports that Russia recently tested its โBurevestnikโ missile, a nuclear-powered cruise missile said to have โunlimited range.โย
The development has heightened global concerns about a potential new arms race between major nuclear powers.
Trump noted that unlike authoritarian nations, the US discusses such matters openly. โWeโre an open society, we talk about it. They donโt have reporters writing about their tests. We do,โ he told CBS.