U.S. President Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing, citing rising strategic competition with Moscow and Beijing. The announcement came ahead of Trump’s scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, on Thursday, local time.
Trump explained the decision on his Truth Social platform, noting that the United States possesses more nuclear weapons than any other country, a capability he said was enhanced during his first term in office. “Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice!” he wrote. Trump added that while Russia ranks second in nuclear capability and China a distant third, China’s arsenal is expected to grow significantly within five years, prompting him to instruct the Department of War to start testing U.S. nuclear weapons on an equal basis immediately.
The U.S. halted nuclear testing in 1992 under a Congress-mandated moratorium. Members of Trump’s cabinet reportedly discussed reversing the moratorium during his first term after the U.S. accused China and Russia of secretly conducting underground low-yield nuclear tests—a claim denied by both Beijing and Moscow.
Recent estimates from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) indicate the U.S. has 5,177 nuclear warheads, Russia has 5,459, and China’s arsenal is projected to reach 1,500 by 2035. Earlier this year, the U.S. conducted a test-firing of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile in February and launched four Trident II missiles from a submarine in September.
The move comes amid ongoing advancements in Russian and Chinese nuclear capabilities. Russia recently test-fired its Burevestnik cruise missile, powered by a small nuclear reactor, which gives it a theoretically unlimited range. Trump’s announcement signals an escalation in the nuclear posture of the United States, potentially reshaping global strategic dynamics ahead of key diplomatic engagements in Asia.
