Putin Signals Readiness to Resume Nuclear Weapons testing
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin has directed the contry’s foreign and defense ministries, security services, and civilian authorities to begin developing proposals for potential nuclear weapons testing, escalating tensions amid accusations against the United States.The move, announced today, comes in response to concerns over U.S.nuclear activity and a perceived need to maintain strategic balance.
Putin emphasized Russia remains committed to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (CTBT) but asserted a need to respond in kind should the U.S. or other treaty signatories resume testing. ”Even in my speech at the Federal Assembly in 2023, I drew attention to the fact that if the United States or other states that are parties to the treaty conduct such experiments, then Russia must respond in an appropriate way,” he stated. This declaration marks a notable shift in Russia’s posture, raising the specter of a renewed nuclear arms race.
The instruction followed a advice from Defense Minister Andrey Belousov during a Russian Security Council meeting. Belousov cited U.S. development of a new nuclear intercontinental missile with a range of 13,000 kilometers as justification for preparing for tests. Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov echoed these concerns, noting the lack of official U.S. response to statements by former President Donald Trump suggesting a potential restart of American nuclear testing.
The timing of Putin’s directive coincides with a recent U.S. test of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile on wednesday, and follows Trump’s recent claims that Russia and China are secretly conducting nuclear tests, prompting his call for the U.S. to avoid falling behind. The CTBT, signed in 1996, prohibits all nuclear explosions, though it has not been ratified by all nations, including the United States. Russia’s potential move to prepare for testing introduces a new layer of uncertainty to global security and arms control efforts.
