Donald Trump said on Truth Social he had instructed the “Department of War” to start testing U.S. nuclear weapons “on an equal basis” with other nuclear powers, adding the process would begin immediately.
The United States last conducted a full explosive nuclear test in 1992.
Trump’s post came less than an hour before he met Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday, their first meeting since 2019, aimed at seeking a truce in a trade dispute.
It was unclear what testing Trump envisioned, The Guardian reported. China and Russia are not known to have conducted full explosive tests since the early 1990s. Since 1998, only North Korea is confirmed to have done so.
Nuclear-armed states, including the U.S., have relied on computer simulations, subcritical experiments and tests of delivery systems and warhead mechanisms to maintain arsenals.
Speaking later aboard Air Force One, Trump said he would “like to see” denuclearization and that Washington was “talking to Russia about that,” adding China “would be added” if an agreement emerges.
China’s foreign ministry urged the U.S. to honor the non-proliferation treaty and “take actions that contribute to regional peace.”
A spokesperson said Beijing remains committed to peaceful development and defensive security policies.
Russia has recently highlighted nuclear-related capabilities. President Vladimir Putin said Russia had successfully tested its nuclear-propelled Burevestnik cruise missile and, on Wednesday, the Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedo.
Moscow said the demonstrations were meant to ensure national security and said Washington was notified ahead of the Burevestnik test.
Trump also claimed the U.S. has more nuclear weapons than any other country, a statement contradicted by figures cited from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which put Russia’s stockpile above America’s.
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Source: The Guardian, PAP