Russia has sent an ominous nuclear warning to Donald Trump.
This comes as the US announced it is resuming atomic testing for the first time in three decades.
Trump announced that on Truth Social just minutes before he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping today (30 October), as he says the move will put the states on an ‘equal basis’ with his country and Russia.
The US military already does regular testing of its missiles that are capable of delivering a nuclear warhead but hasn’t detonated any since 1992 due to a test ban.
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And while Trump says the process of testing nuclear weapons ‘will begin immediately’, Vladimir Putin also announced this week that Russia tested a new atomic-powered and nuclear-capable underwater drone as well as a new nuclear-powered cruise missile.
The Russian President however did not announce any tests of the country’s nuclear weapons; the last recorded ones took place in 1990.
But there have been some ominous comments made amid long-running, nuclear threats.
Trump wrote on his social media today: “Because of other countries’ testing programmes, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis.
“That process will begin immediately.”
And it’s said this caught the Kremlin somewhat off-guard, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying Russia had not been informed by the US of its plans to change Washington’s position on nuclear testing.
“President Trump mentioned in his statement that other countries are engaged in testing nuclear weapons. Until now, we didn't know that anyone was testing,” he told reporters.
Peskov was asked if the Kremlin felt as though Trump’s announcement had triggered a new nuclear arms race, and he simply said: “Not really.”
He also added that Russia’s recent tests were most definitely not nuclear weapons tests.
And then he issued what some have perceived as a bit of a threat as he echoed previous comments from Putin.
Peskov said: “I want to recall President Putin's statement, which has been repeated many times: if someone departs from the moratorium, Russia will act accordingly.”
Russia said back in 2023 that it would only resume tests of its nuclear weapons if Washington did it first, and a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson has called on the US to refrain.
“China hopes the US will earnestly fulfil its obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and honour its commitment to suspend nuclear testing,” Guo Jiakun said at a briefing in Beijing.
Topics: Donald Trump, Russia, Vladimir Putin, World News
Jess Battison