By Watchmann

President Donald Trump of the United States has ordered the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing, citing strategic competition with Moscow and Beijing.

“I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea on Thursday.

This is less than a month after criticising Russia for testing its nuclear-powered Burevestnik missile.

Trump ordered the American military to resume nuclear weapons testing for the first time in 33 years.

Trump posted on Truth Social that he had directed the Pentagon to restart nuclear testing to keep pace with rival powers.

“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.

 

He added, “Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years.”

The directive came despite Trump’s earlier criticism of Putin’s decision to proceed with Russia’s nuclear-powered missile test. At the time, the U.S. leader had said the Kremlin “should be focused on ending war with Ukraine, not testing missiles,” describing the move as a provocation that undermined global stability.

Days before Trump’s announcement, Putin had declared that Russia had “successfully tested its nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable Burevestnik missile and is preparing to deploy it,” in what he called a “unique product that no one in the world has.”

“This is a unique product that no one in the world has,” Putin said during a meeting with senior Russian military commanders. “We need to identify potential uses and begin preparing the infrastructure for deploying this weapon in our armed forces.”

Trump’s new order marks a sharp reversal of tone and a significant shift in U.S. nuclear policy.

The United States last conducted a nuclear test in 1992, while most major powers except North Korea halted explosive testing in the 1990s.

 

Speaking later aboard Air Force One, Trump defended his decision, insisting that Washington must ensure its deterrent remains credible. “With others doing testing, I think it’s appropriate that we do also,” he said, adding that “nuclear test sites would be determined later.”

 

Asked if renewed testing could usher in a more dangerous nuclear era, Trump downplayed the risks. “I’d like to see a denuclearisation because we have so many and Russia’s second and China’s third and China will catch up within four or five years,” he said. “We are actually talking to Russia about that and China would be added to that if we do something.”

Trump’s latest order underscores the growing tension between Washington and Moscow over nuclear competition, highlighting the sharp contradiction between his earlier condemnation of Russia’s tests and his own decision to resume them.