The Kremlin said its testing of nuclear-powered nuclear-capable weapons -- the Burevestnik cruise missile and the Poseidon underwater drone -- did not constitute a direct test of an atomic weapon.
Both countries observe a de facto moratorium on testing nuclear warheads, though Russia regularly runs military drills involving systems that are capable of carrying such weapons.
"Regarding the tests of Poseidon and Burevestnik, we hope that the information was conveyed correctly to President Trump," Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, including AFP, during a daily briefing.
"This cannot in any way be interpreted as a nuclear test," he added.
Trump said Thursday he was ordering the US tests as a response to actions by other states.
"Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis," he said Thursday in a social media post.
But it was not immediately clear if Trump was referring to testing nuclear warheads -- something the United States last did in 1992 -- or testing weapons systems capable of carrying atomic warheads.
The Kremlin implied Thursday that it would also test nuclear warheads if Trump ordered a live test of an atomic weapon.
"If someone departs from the moratorium, Russia will act accordingly," Peskov said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said if the United States started testing nuclear weapons again, Russia would follow suit.
In 1996, the two countries signed -- but have not ratified -- the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which bans all atomic test blasts, whether for military or civilian purposes.
Announcing the recent tests, Putin boasted that Russia's new nuclear-powered devices could reach any continent in the world and were impervious to defences.
Russia and the United States hold 90 percent of the world's nuclear arsenal, or about 11,000 warheads, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Trump stirs tensions with surprise nuclear test order
Washington (AFP) Oct 31, 2025 - US President Donald Trump landed back in Washington Thursday after a surprise directive to begin nuclear weapons testing that raised the specter of renewed superpower tensions.
The announcement on social media was issued just before Trump -- who boasts frequently about being a peace president -- went into a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea.
But Trump's announcement left much unanswered -- chiefly about whether he meant testing weapons systems or actually conducting test explosions, something the United States has not done since 1992.
It appeared to alarm key US foe Iran, which criticized the directive as "irresponsible."
Vice President JD Vance said the US nuclear arsenal needed to be tested to ensure it actually "functions properly," but did not elaborate on what type of tests Trump had ordered.
The president's statement "speaks for itself," Vance told reporters at the White House.
"It's an important part of American national security to make sure that this nuclear arsenal we have actually functions properly, and that's part of a testing regime," he added.
Trump's statement nevertheless amounted to unusual nuclear saber rattling.
It came days after Russia declared it had tested nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered cruise missiles and sea drones.
"Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis," Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump also claimed that the United States has more nuclear weapons than any other country and that he had achieved this in his first term as president.
That however appeared to be untrue.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) says in its latest annual report that Russia possesses 5,489 nuclear warheads, compared to 5,177 for the United States and 600 for China.
In his post, Trump said -- minutes ahead of his Xi summit -- that China was expected to "be even within 5 years."
- 'Nuclear-armed bully' -
The Kremlin questioned whether Trump was well-informed about Russia's military activities.
The recent weapons drills "cannot in any way be interpreted as a nuclear test," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.
"We hope that the information was conveyed correctly to President Trump."
Peskov then implied that Russia would conduct its own live warhead tests if Trump did it first.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun urged the United States to "earnestly abide" by a global nuclear testing ban.
Both countries observe a de facto moratorium on testing nuclear warheads, though Russia and the United States do regularly run military drills involving nuclear-capable systems.
The Trump directive to resume testing appeared to alarm Iran, whose foreign minister called it "regressive and irresponsible," and a threat to international security.
"A nuclear-armed bully is resuming testing of atomic weapons. The same bully has been demonizing Iran's peaceful nuclear program," Abbas Araghchi posted on social media.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said through his deputy spokesman that "nuclear testing can never be permitted under any circumstances."
The United States has been a signatory since 1996 to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which bans all atomic test explosions, whether for military or civilian purposes.
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that it had been "many years" since the United States had conducted nuclear tests, but it was "appropriate" to start again.
Further muddying the waters, Trump also repeated in his remarks to reporters a previous claim that he wants negotiations with Russia and China on reducing nuclear weapons forces.
"Denuclearization would be a tremendous thing," he said.
- Last US test in 1992 -
The United States conducted 1,054 nuclear tests between July 16, 1945, when the first test was conducted in New Mexico, and 1992, as well as two nuclear attacks on Japan during World War II.
It is the only country to have used nuclear weapons in combat.
The last US nuclear test explosion was in September 1992, with a 20-kiloton underground detonation at the Nevada Nuclear Security Site.
Then-president George H.W. Bush imposed a moratorium on further tests in October 1992 that has been continued by successive administrations.
Nuclear testing was replaced by non-nuclear and subcritical experiments using advanced computer simulations.
Trump orders US to start nuclear weapons testing
Washington (AFP) Oct 30, 2025 -
US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he has ordered the Pentagon to start nuclear weapons testing to equal China and Russia -- just minutes before opening a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The move comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow had successfully tested a nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater drone, in defiance of Washington's warnings.
"Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis," Trump wrote in a social media post.
Since 1996 the United States has been a signatory to the the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which bans all atomic test blasts, whether for military or civilian purposes
It was not immediately clear if Trump was referring to testing nuclear warheads -- something the United States last did in 1992 -- or testing weapons systems capable of carrying atomic warheads.
Trump also claimed the US has more nuclear weapons than any other country, praising his own efforts to do "a complete update and renovation of existing weapons."
"Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within five years," he added.
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) says nine countries possess nuclear weapons: Russia, the United States, China, France, United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel and North Korea.
Of the roughly 12,331 nuclear warheads ICAN counts, more than 5,500 belong to Russia while the United States owns 5,044.
In a press huddle aboard Air Force One, Trump noted that it had been "many years" since the United States had conducted nuclear tests.
"We don't do testing... we've halted it years, many years ago," adding that to start again was "appropriate" because others are testing.
"I'd like to see denuclearization... denuclearization, would be a tremendous thing," he added.
He claimed "it's something we are actually talking to Russia about, and China would be added to that if we do something."
Trump kept the location and dates for testing vague during the press conference, but earlier said it would "begin immediately."
Trump is in South Korea to meet with Xi, as the leaders of the world's top two economies come face-to-face for the first time in the Republican president's second term.
China later urged the US to "earnestly abide" by a global nuclear testing ban.
"China hopes the United States will earnestly abide by the obligations of the comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty and its commitment to a ban on nuclear testing, and take concrete actions to safeguard the global nuclear disarmament," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.
Between 1945, when the first ever atomic bomb test happened in New Mexico on July 16, and 1992 the United States has conducted 1,054 nuclear tests and two nuclear attacks on Japan during World War II.
The last US nuclear test explosion was in September 1992, with a 20-kiloton underground detonation at the Nevada Nuclear Security Site.
In October 1992, then-president George H.W. Bush imposed a moratorium on further tests, which has been continued by successive administrations.
Nuclear testing was replaced by non-nuclear and subcritical experiments using advanced computer simulations.
Putin announced on Wednesday the successful testing of a nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater drone, the second weapons test in days.
In televised remarks broadcast from a military hospital treating Russian soldiers wounded in Ukraine, Putin said there was "no way to intercept" the unmanned drone torpedo dubbed "Poseidon."
He said Poseidon can travel faster than conventional submarines, dive deep and reach any continent in the world.
After a first test of a cruise missile on Sunday, Trump chided Putin saying he ought to end the war in Ukraine "instead of testing missiles."
Last week, a planned summit between Trump and Putin in Budapest was scrapped.
Related Links
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