Daniel Otera
A dramatic shift in global nuclear policy unfolded on Thursday as US President Donald Trump announced the immediate resumption of nuclear weapons testing, ending a 33-year moratorium that had been in place since 1992. The announcement came just minutes before a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, sending shockwaves through diplomatic circles and reigniting fears of a renewed arms race.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared, “Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.” He specifically referenced Russia and China, claiming the United States holds the largest nuclear arsenal globally, followed by Russia and China, which he warned could catch up “within five years”
The timing of the announcement was particularly striking, coinciding with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s televised declaration that Moscow had successfully tested a nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater drone named Poseidon. Putin described the drone as “uninterceptable,” capable of deep-sea travel and reaching any continent, further escalating tensions between the two nuclear powers.
Trump’s decision marks the first time the United States will conduct nuclear tests since its last underground detonation at the Nevada Nuclear Security Site in September 1992. That 20-kiloton test was followed by a moratorium imposed by then-President George H.W. Bush, which successive administrations upheld. Since then, the US has relied on subcritical experiments and advanced computer simulations to maintain its nuclear arsenal.
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) estimates that nine countries currently possess nuclear weapons, with Russia holding approximately 5,500 warheads and the United States owning around 5,044. China, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea round out the list.
Trump offered no specifics on the nature, location, or timeline of the planned tests, leaving defence analysts and international watchdogs scrambling for clarity. The announcement also comes amid heightened geopolitical friction, with a previously scheduled summit between Trump and Putin in Budapest cancelled last week.
Critics have warned that resuming nuclear testing could undermine decades of non-proliferation efforts and provoke retaliatory actions from rival states. The move may also complicate US relations with allies committed to nuclear disarmament and arms control treaties.
Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping in South Korea is expected to focus on trade and regional security, but the nuclear testing directive is likely to dominate discussions. With tensions already high over Taiwan, the South China Sea, and cyber warfare, the announcement adds a volatile new dimension to US-China relations.
As global leaders react to the news, attention now turns to how the Pentagon will implement the directive and whether Congress or international bodies will intervene to challenge or constrain the testing programme.