U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Defense to begin testing American nuclear weapons. He announced the decision on his social network Truth Social, reports the Baltimore Chronicle with reference to CNN.
In his post, Trump emphasized that the United States possesses the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, which was completely modernized during his first term in office. The former president noted that while he “hated” the idea of advancing nuclear capabilities due to their devastating power, he felt he had no choice but to do so.
Trump added that Russia currently ranks second in nuclear power, while China takes third place “by a wide margin.” However, he expressed his belief that China could reach nuclear parity with the United States within the next five years.
Citing ongoing weapons tests conducted by other nations, Trump stated that he had instructed the Pentagon “to begin testing our nuclear weapons on equal terms.” According to him, the process will commence immediately.
CNN noted that Trump made this statement just minutes before his long-anticipated meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea. At the same time, it remains unclear whether Trump was referring to actual nuclear detonations or tests of delivery systems capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Since the 1990s, none of the three major nuclear powers — the United States, Russia, or China — has conducted nuclear weapons tests. The U.S. last carried out such experiments in 1992, when a voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing was introduced.
During a conversation with reporters on his flight back to the United States, Trump said his administration plans to release a statement providing more detailed information about the upcoming tests. He refused to clarify the reasons behind his decision but emphasized that it was “not related to China,” as reported by WSJ.
“It concerns others,” Trump said, without specifying which countries he meant. “It seems they are all conducting nuclear tests.”
When asked whether he believes the world is entering a more dangerous period in terms of nuclear security, Trump responded, “I don’t think so.” He added that he would “like to see denuclearization,” but did not specify how or when it might occur.
According to an August report by the Congressional Research Service, the Pentagon would need approximately 24 to 36 months to carry out nuclear tests once a presidential directive is issued.
Earlier we wrote that US President Trump Pledges to Resolve Afghanistan-Pakistan Conflict “Very Quickly”.
