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President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to restart nuclear weapons testing for the first time since 1992, saying the move is necessary to match the expanding arsenals of Russia and China.
"Because of other countries' testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis," Trump wrote Wednesday night on Truth Social, adding that the process "will begin immediately."
The United States conducted more than 1,000 nuclear tests between 1945 and 1992 before observing a voluntary moratorium that has lasted more than three decades. Trump's announcement came just hours before a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
The surprise declaration followed reports that both Moscow and Beijing have been modernizing and expanding their nuclear capabilities. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently claimed a successful test of the Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedo—designed to trigger massive radioactive waves—and the Burevestnik cruise missile, which state media has described as "invincible."
China, meanwhile, has more than doubled its stockpile in the past five years to an estimated 600 nuclear weapons and could exceed 1,000 by 2030, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
In his post, Trump claimed the United States still holds the world's largest nuclear arsenal, saying the force had been "completely updated and renovated" during his first term. He added, "Because of the tremendous destructive power, I hated to do it, but had no choice."
Critics swiftly condemned the move. Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association called the order "misinformed and dangerous," arguing that nuclear explosive testing is unnecessary and could reignite a global arms race.
"No country except North Korea has conducted a nuclear test explosion in this century," Kimball said. "Resuming testing would undermine decades of progress and destabilize international security."
The White House has not yet responded to the criticism, and defense officials have declined to clarify whether the order involves underground explosive tests or non-nuclear missile trials.
