President Donald Trump on Thursday said the Pentagon would immediately begin testing nuclear weapons “on an equal basis” to Russia and China.
The US has not tested its nuclear weapons since 1992. It conducted more than 1,000 tests before then after becoming the only nation to have dropped a nuclear bomb when it struck Nagasaki and Hiroshima at the end of the Second World War.
“Because of other countries' testing programmes, I have instructed the Department of War [Department of Defence] to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis,” Mr Trump said on Truth Social, before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
Mr Trump said the US had the world's largest nuclear arsenal and that China would soon catch up to Russia, which has the second-largest stockpile.
The process of resuming testing “will begin immediately”, he said.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow has conducted a successful test of a new atomic-powered and nuclear-capable underwater drone. He claimed the new weapon cannot be intercepted.
Mr Putin's statement comes three days after he praised a successful test of a new nuclear-powered cruise missile.
Mr Trump said that missile test was “not appropriate” and that the Russian leader should focus on ending the war with Ukraine.
