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President Donald Trump announced this Thursday that he has directed the Pentagon to immediately begin nuclear weapons testing, in a sudden shift that shakes the defense and disarmament policy of the United States.
This is the first time since 1992 that Washington is preparing to conduct these tests, a step that threatens to disrupt the delicate global nuclear balance and reignite tensions with Russia and China.
The announcement, made through a message on Truth Social, has generated international condemnation and concern among arms control experts.
Trump's message: A direct statement filled with warnings
The message posted by Trump on his network Truth Social was clear, although brief.
"The United States has more nuclear weapons than any other country. This was achieved, including a complete modernization and renewal of the existing arsenal, during my first term. Because of their tremendous destructive power, it was very difficult for me to do this, but I had no other option!" he wrote
The leader continued to justify his decision based on the developments of other nuclear powers:
"Russia ranks second, and China a distant third, but the situation will equalize in five years. Due to the testing programs of other countries, I have instructed the Department of Defense to initiate tests of our nuclear weapons under the same conditions. This process will begin immediately. Thank you for your attention! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP."
The message was issued while Trump was heading by helicopter to a meeting with Xi Jinping, the president of China, at the Gimhae Air Base in South Korea.
When asked later, Trump simply stated: “It will be announced”, without providing details regarding the nature, date, or location of the tests.
A break after more than three decades of moratorium
According to a report by The Washington Post, this presidential order represents the first concrete initiative to reactivate nuclear testing since President George H.W. Bush imposed a moratorium in 1992, at the end of the Cold War.
The last U.S. nuclear detonation took place that same year.
The announcement comes amid a backdrop of rising geopolitical tension.
A few days ago, Russia conducted maneuvers with nuclear forces, including the launch of the Yars intercontinental ballistic missile and the Sineva ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine, as well as the deployment of Tu-95C strategic bombers.
Moscow, however, has denied that these are actual nuclear tests.
International reactions to Trump's announcement
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov expressed surprise at the announcement and emphasized that they were not aware of any country conducting nuclear tests.
“The president Trump mentioned that other countries are supposedly conducting nuclear weapons tests, but so far we have no knowledge that anyone is carrying out tests,” Peskov stated, who also recalled that “if anyone deviates from the moratorium, Russia will act accordingly.”
From China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the United States to fulfill its obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), an agreement signed by Washington, Moscow, and Beijing in 1996 but never ratified by the United States.
Beijing labeled Trump's decision as a threat to the international disarmament regime.
Lyle Morris, an expert on the Chinese army at the Asia Society Policy Institute, suggested that the announcement caught Xi Jinping by surprise:
"It was something completely unexpected. Xi and China don't like surprises before an important summit… this poses a distraction that, without a doubt, the Chinese did not see coming."
Consequences and warnings from experts
Trump's announcement has sparked concern among arms control analysts.
“United States has no technical, military, or political reason to resume nuclear explosive testing,” said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, in statements reported by The Washington Post.
Kimball recalled that the National Nuclear Security Administration—the agency responsible for these tests, not the "Department of War" mentioned by Trump—is not prepared to resume them immediately.
It requires at least 36 months to reactivate the underground testing at the Nevada test site, where a large portion of the staff is currently on leave due to the government shutdown.
The shadow of China and the narrative of nuclear supremacy
During his publication and subsequent statements, Trump focused his speech on the need for "a level playing field" with Russia and China, which he accused of developing advanced nuclear programs.
However, according to the Department of Defense, although China is accelerating its nuclear modernization, it is still far from reaching the numbers of Washington or Moscow.
It is estimated that by 2030 it could exceed 1,000 warheads, compared to 3,700 from the U.S. and 4,300 from Russia.
Tong Zhao, a researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, warned about the possible consequences of Trump's actions:
“If the United States begins to develop nuclear launch technologies similar to those of Russia, there is a high likelihood that Beijing will do the same. The parallel development of the U.S. and Russia could incentivize China to accelerate its own programs.”
Trump's announcement marks a turning point in U.S. defense policy and raises numerous questions about the future of global nuclear stability.
The lack of details, the use of social media for such significant communication, and the institutional confusion about who would conduct the tests contribute to a sense of dangerous improvisation.
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