A model of a nuclear test
tag:reuters.com,2023:newsml_RC2784AO9CB7:1539995203
(Busan, South Korea) — President Trump is ordering the Department of War to begin testing nuclear weapons. In a Truth Social post, Trump said due to the testing programs of other countries, he’s instructed the department to start testing U.S. weapons “on an equal basis.” In the post he specifically cited the nuclear programs of Russia and China.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says they successfully tested a nuclear-powered drone called the Poseidon, and said there was “nothing like this in the world in terms of the speed and the depth of the movement.”
Trump said Putin should focus on ending the war with Ukraine after a nuclear test on Sunday and appeared to defy Trump with another test on Wednesday. The last time the U.S. tested a nuclear weapon was in 1992.
If the U.S. does start testing nuclear weapons, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov says Moscow is ready to follow suit. He claims recent tests of nuclear-powered drones and nuclear-capable missiles didn’t involve any detonations and couldn’t be viewed as nuclear testing. But he adds that if another country did resume nuclear testing, Russia would likely do the same.
