Russia to resume nuclear tests? Putin tells officials to 'analyse US intentions' — here's what he said

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday instructed his top officials to draw up proposals for a possible resumption of nuclear tests, following recent remarks by US President Donald Trump that appeared to hint Washington could restart atomic testing after three decades.

At a meeting of Russia’s Security Council, Putin reiterated his earlier stance that Moscow would only resume testing if the United States does so first, but said he wanted the government to be ready for any scenario.

“I ask the defence ministry, the foreign ministry, and other relevant agencies to analyse Washington’s statements and prepare proposals for resuming nuclear weapons tests,” Putin said, signalling a cautious but deliberate response to Trump’s comments.

Days earlier, in an interview with CBS News, Trump had raised the issue of nuclear testing while expressing concern about the pace of global denuclearisation. His remarks appeared to suggest the US could resume such tests “on an equal basis” with Russia and China.

“Well, we have more nuclear weapons than any other country. Russia’s second. China’s a very distant third, but they'll be even in five years. You know, they're makin' 'em rapidly, and I think we should do something about denuclearization, which is gonna be some—and I did actually discuss that with both President Putin and President Xi,” Trump said.

However, US energy secretary Chris Wright later clarified that the tests ordered by Trump would not involve any nuclear explosions, saying on Sunday that they would be limited to systems testing within safety boundaries.

Trump made his comments while in South Korea, just days after Putin announced successful trials of new nuclear-capable weapons , including a nuclear-powered cruise missile and an underwater drone. Putin hailed the systems as “impossible to intercept,” a message seen by analysts as aimed directly at Washington amid ongoing tensions over Ukraine.

While the US continues to conduct non-explosive tests of nuclear-capable weapons, it has not detonated an atomic device since 1992. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), adopted in 1996, has been observed by all nuclear-armed nations except North Korea, though the US has signed but not ratified it.

In 2023, Putin signed a law revoking Russia’s ratification of the CTBT, saying the move was necessary to maintain parity with Washington. The global ban was originally signed by then-US President Bill Clinton, but it was never ratified by the US Senate.