U.S. President Donald Trump has directed the Department of Defense to immediately resume nuclear weapons testing, saying the United States must act “on an equal basis” with other nuclear powers. The announcement came Wednesday on Truth Social, shortly before Trump’s planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
“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. “That process will begin immediately.”
The move marks a major shift in U.S. nuclear policy. Washington last conducted a full-scale nuclear test in 1992 under the George H.W. Bush administration, before adopting a moratorium observed by subsequent presidents. Trump’s directive shows a return to live testing at a time of rising global tensions and renewed competition among nuclear-armed states.
In his post, Trump said Russia ranked second and China third among nuclear powers but predicted Beijing would “be even within five years.” The comment came amid growing friction with both nations over strategic weapons and military influence in the Indo-Pacific.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia had successfully tested a Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedo, an underwater weapon capable of triggering massive radioactive tsunamis along coastlines. Earlier this month, Moscow also carried out a Burevestnik cruise missile test on October 21, followed by nuclear launch drills a day later.
Based on the timing, it is clearly seen that Russia’s demonstrations reflects an effort to showcase its deterrent power as Trump hardens his rhetoric on nuclear parity. “Each side is flexing in ways designed to remind the other of its reach,” a European defense official told Reuters.
If the United States proceeds, it would mark the first nuclear detonation in more than three decades. Testing provides critical data on new warhead designs and ensures older weapons remain viable. However, experts warn it would also signal the end of a long-standing international norm, potentially prompting other countries to conduct tests of their own.
The U.S. opened the nuclear era in July 1945 with the first atomic bomb test in Alamogordo, New Mexico, and later used atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II. The legacy of those events continues to shape global arms control efforts, including the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which the U.S. has signed but never ratified.
Neither the Pentagon nor the White House has provided further details on when or where testing might resume. The decision is expected to dominate discussions at the Trump-Xi summit, where nuclear competition and global security will be key agenda items, including trade.
Africa Digital News, New York
