On Wednesday, President Trump announced he has directed the Defense Department to immediately commence testing U.S. nuclear weapons to match the capabilities of China and Russia. This decision marks a significant step in nuclear arms policy.

In a statement, Trump emphasized the United States’ position as the leading nuclear power. “The United States boasts the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons,” he declared. “This achievement, along with a comprehensive update and renovation of our existing stockpile, was realized during my first term. Despite the immense destructive potential, I was reluctant to proceed, but felt it was necessary. Russia holds the second-largest arsenal, while China ranks third but is expected to catch up within five years.”

The Hill has sought a response from the Pentagon regarding this development.

Trump’s announcement surfaced on TruthSocial just ahead of his scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, marking their first face-to-face encounter since 2019.

During the meeting with Xi and the Chinese delegation, Trump declined to address a reporter’s inquiry about the nuclear testing decision, as journalists were soon escorted from the room.

It is noteworthy that the United States has not conducted explosive nuclear tests since 1992, marking a long-standing pause in such activities.

Former Trump’s national security advisor, Robert C. O’Brien, encouraged Trump, a presidential candidate, in June last year to test nuclear weapons if he wins the 2024 White House election.  

“Washington must test new nuclear weapons for reliability and safety in the real world for the first time since 1992—not just by using computer models,” O’Brien wrote in an article for the Foreign Affairs magazine, which was published in June last year. “If China and Russia continue to refuse to engage in good-faith arms control talks, the United States should also resume production of uranium-235 and plutonium-239, the primary fissile isotopes of nuclear weapons.”  

Russia claimed it tested its new nuclear-capable cruise missile, known as the Burevestnik, last week, which purportedly flew 8,700 miles.

The test was met with international condemnation, including from Trump, who called it “inappropriate” as he is pushing the Kremlin to come to the table and negotiate a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war.  

“You’ve got to get the war ended. A war that should have taken one week is now in its soon fourth year,” the president said on Monday. “That’s what you ought to do, instead of testing missiles.” 

“We test missiles all the time. They’re not playing games with us, and we’re not playing games with them either,” Trump added.  

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Moscow successfully tested a new atomic-powered and nuclear-capable underwater drone. The test was conducted on Tuesday, with Putin claiming the nuclear reactor that powers the Poseidon drone is “100 times smaller” than those on submarines.  

Updated at 10:27 p.m. EDT