Written by Lisa Murimi
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to immediately resume nuclear weapons testing, ending a 33-year moratorium and sparking global concern over a potential new arms race.
Trump made the announcement on Thursday via his Truth Social platform while en route to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea.
He said the decision was prompted by renewed testing programs in Russia and China, arguing the United States must act “on an equal basis” with its nuclear rivals.
“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,” Trump wrote.
The move, which came minutes before his summit with Xi, marks a dramatic escalation in U.S. nuclear policy. If implemented, it would represent the first American nuclear test since 1992.
China’s Foreign Ministry swiftly urged Washington to “honor its commitment to a moratorium on nuclear testing” and maintain global stability. A senior Russian lawmaker warned the decision could usher in “a new era of unpredictability and confrontation.”
Speaking aboard Air Force One later, Trump defended the move, saying testing was necessary to ensure the U.S. remained ahead of its competitors.
“With others doing testing, I think it’s appropriate that we do also,” he said, adding that potential test sites would be announced later.
The decision follows reports of rapid nuclear buildup in both China and Russia. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), China has more than doubled its nuclear arsenal over the past five years and could exceed 1,000 warheads by 2030.
Russia, meanwhile, recently tested its nuclear-powered Poseidon torpedo and Burevestnik cruise missile, both capable of carrying nuclear payloads.
Critics condemned Trump’s order as reckless. Daryl Kimball, director of the Arms Control Association, said it could take the U.S. at least three years to restart underground testing and warned the move risked “triggering a chain reaction” of new global tests.
Democratic lawmakers also vowed to block the decision. Representative Dina Titus of Nevada said she would introduce legislation to prevent the resumption of testing, calling it “dangerous and unnecessary.”
With tensions already high among major powers, Trump’s decision threatens to unravel decades of global arms control efforts and reopen one of the most perilous chapters of the nuclear age.
