U.S. President Donald Trump has directed the Department of Defense to resume nuclear weapons testing, a major change in American nuclear policy. The U.S. last conducted a full test in 1992.
Trump’s announcement comes with the stated goal of matching testing programs of Russia and China. He wrote on social media that “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.”
The decision marks a clear break from decades of a U.S. voluntary moratorium on explosive nuclear tests. Analysts say that restarting tests could escalate global nuclear arms competition and undermine long-standing arms control frameworks.
In mentioning the upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the timing suggests that the decision also serves as a geopolitical message. The U.S. claims it leads the world in nuclear arms, though experts point out that Russia currently holds more warheads.
This move raises urgent questions for allies, adversaries and the global non-proliferation regime. The restart of testing may trigger retaliation or new tests by other nuclear powers. The world now watches closely how the U.S. will implement this directive and manage the fallout.
#USNuclearPolicy
#DonaldTrump
#NuclearWeaponsTesting
#UnitedStatesDefense
#RussiaNuclearProgram
#ChinaNuclearProgram
#ArmsControl
#NuclearArmsRace
#GlobalSecurity
#NuclearTestBan
