US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to immediately increase nuclear testing, citing Russia and China's recent advancements. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump instructed the Department of War to start testing its nuclear arsenal "on an equal basis" with other nations.
The move comes as tensions between the US and its adversaries are escalating. Trump's announcement was made in the wake of a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, where the two leaders discussed trade war truces. The timing of Trump's statement is notable, given the Kremlin's recent nuclear posturing and efforts to bolster Russia's military capabilities.
The US has not conducted a full-scale nuclear test since 1992, while China and Russia have not held any such tests in recent years. However, nuclear-armed countries such as the US have carried out simulated nuclear explosions using high-powered computers and related experiments.
Pentagon officials have not commented on Trump's announcement, which has sparked concerns among lawmakers. The Nevada congresswoman Dina Titus has vowed to introduce legislation to halt the proposed increase in nuclear testing.
The move is also seen as a response to Russia's recent announcement of a successful nuclear-propelled cruise missile test. However, it remains unclear what specific types of tests Trump intends for the US to conduct, and whether these would be comparable to those carried out by other nations.
The news has been met with skepticism from some quarters, including China's foreign ministry, which urged the US to honor non-proliferation treaties and pursue peaceful development. The Kremlin has also come under fire for its nuclear posturing, with President Vladimir Putin announcing the successful testing of a Poseidon nuclear-powered super torpedo.
Despite efforts by both Moscow and Washington to halt an arms race, little progress has been made in recent years. Trump's push to develop a missile shield has been criticized by the Kremlin, which sees it as a threat to its national security.
The move comes as tensions between the US and its adversaries are escalating. Trump's announcement was made in the wake of a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, where the two leaders discussed trade war truces. The timing of Trump's statement is notable, given the Kremlin's recent nuclear posturing and efforts to bolster Russia's military capabilities.
The US has not conducted a full-scale nuclear test since 1992, while China and Russia have not held any such tests in recent years. However, nuclear-armed countries such as the US have carried out simulated nuclear explosions using high-powered computers and related experiments.
Pentagon officials have not commented on Trump's announcement, which has sparked concerns among lawmakers. The Nevada congresswoman Dina Titus has vowed to introduce legislation to halt the proposed increase in nuclear testing.
The move is also seen as a response to Russia's recent announcement of a successful nuclear-propelled cruise missile test. However, it remains unclear what specific types of tests Trump intends for the US to conduct, and whether these would be comparable to those carried out by other nations.
The news has been met with skepticism from some quarters, including China's foreign ministry, which urged the US to honor non-proliferation treaties and pursue peaceful development. The Kremlin has also come under fire for its nuclear posturing, with President Vladimir Putin announcing the successful testing of a Poseidon nuclear-powered super torpedo.
Despite efforts by both Moscow and Washington to halt an arms race, little progress has been made in recent years. Trump's push to develop a missile shield has been criticized by the Kremlin, which sees it as a threat to its national security.
, like what's next gonna be him testing out nukes on mars or something? 
he can't just order more nuclear tests willy nilly, that's like super irresponsible & we need some sanity in washington lol. and honestly, how many times do we have to see the us go all nuclear flex before we know when it's time to chill? 
the world is already shook by russia & china's advancements, do we really need to match them on this level? 
. I'm all for makin' America strong, but at what cost?
and now we're trying to one-up Russia and China? 
Trump's move makes me nervous, you know? The world isn't ready for this kind of escalation. I'm low-key worried about Dina Titus' plan to introduce legislation to halt these tests - like, are we really gonna take a step back from the nuclear table? 
Can't we just talk it out and find a peaceful solution? 
It's just not good vibes. We should be focusing on reducing tensions and finding peaceful solutions instead of increasing the risk of a nuclear disaster 
and what's up with the lack of transparency from pentagon officials about these tests? shouldn't they at least give us some clue what's going down? 
I'm not sure what to make of this move... increasing nuclear testing is like, super scary and stuff 
What's next, though? Is he really gonna do it without even consulting Congress or something? That's just crazy talk 
... like what is going on with our leaders? First of all, I get that we gotta stay ahead of the game and address global threats, but increasing nuclear testing just seems so reckless 
... I mean, can't we find a better way to resolve our differences without resorting to nuclear threats?
...
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It's just going to make everyone on edge and increase the risk of accidents or something. The US should focus on building bridges, not blowing them up 
not sure what kind of 'equality' he thinks they'll be getting, seems like just a power trip to me 
And let's be real, it's time to bring back some good old-fashioned military might. We need to show the world we still mean business. Those non-proliferation treaties are just a bunch of weak-kneed nonsense anyway