Trump claims Russia and China are secretly testing nuclear arms

US President Donald Trump has publicly alleged that both Russia and China are actively testing nuclear weapons, claims he presented as justification for his decision to restart American nuclear testing. Speaking in an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes that aired Sunday, Trump countered the assertion that North Korea is the only nation conducting such tests, stating, "Russia's testing, and China's testing, but they don't talk about it."

Justifying a Return to US Testing

The president's remarks came just three days after he directed the US military to restart its nuclear testing process, ending a moratorium that has been in place for over three decades. Trump framed the move as a matter of parity and verification, arguing, "Other countries are testing. We're the only country that doesn't test, and I don't want to be the only country that doesn't test." He stressed the need to ensure the functionality of the US arsenal, posing the rhetorical question, "You make nuclear weapons, and then you don't test. How are you gonna know if they work?"

Assessing Global Nuclear Capabilities

Trump also provided a comparative assessment of global nuclear powers, affirming that the US possesses "tremendous nuclear power," more than any other country, with Russia in second place. He expressed concern about China's rapid advancement, predicting it would achieve nuclear parity with the top powers within five years. Despite highlighting the destructive capacity of existing arsenals, which he said could "blow up the world 150 times," Trump reiterated that he does not want to use nuclear weapons.