Putin has ordered his government to prepare proposals for resuming nuclear weapons testing in direct response to President Trump’s directive to the Pentagon, escalating global nuclear tensions to dangerous new levels.
Story Snapshot
- Putin instructs the Russian government to draft nuclear testing resumption plans after Trump’s Pentagon order.
- Russia threatens “reciprocal measures” if the U.S. conducts nuclear tests, citing treaty obligations.
- Trump claims Russia, China, and other nations are secretly testing nuclear weapons.
- Energy Secretary Wright clarifies U.S. plans involve system tests, not actual nuclear explosions.
Putin Responds to Trump’s Nuclear Testing Directive
Russian President Vladimir Putin convened his Security Council on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, instructing his government to submit proposals for potentially resuming nuclear weapons testing.
Putin’s directive came as a direct response to President Trump’s order to the Pentagon regarding nuclear testing “on an equal basis” with other countries. Putin emphasized Russia’s adherence to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty while warning that reciprocal measures would be necessary if the United States conducts such tests.
Putin orders officials to submit plans for possibly resuming nuclear tests after Trump’s remarks https://t.co/O5ne87mVMO pic.twitter.com/4BcbQGZ70e
— New York Post (@nypost) November 5, 2025
Trump Justifies Testing Orders Amid International Denials
President Trump told CBS News correspondent Norah O’Donnell that Russia, China, North Korea, and Pakistan are conducting nuclear weapons testing. Trump stated, “Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it. We’re gonna test, because they test and others test.”
However, China immediately denied any secret nuclear testing, and Pakistani officials confirmed they “will not be the first to resume nuclear tests.” Trump’s own STRATCOM nominee recently testified that neither China nor Russia was conducting nuclear explosive tests.
Russian Officials Signal Escalation Concerns
Deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev responded on social media, stating that while “no one knows what Trump meant about ‘nuclear testing,'” the consequences remain serious.
Medvedev warned that Russia would be “forced to assess the expediency of conducting full-fledged nuclear tests itself” due to Trump’s presidential authority. This rhetoric reflects Russia’s lowered nuclear threshold doctrine, approved one year ago, which treats attacks by non-nuclear states backed by nuclear powers as joint attacks.
Energy Secretary Clarifies U.S. Testing Plans
Energy Secretary Chris Wright attempted to de-escalate concerns during a Fox News interview, explaining that planned U.S. tests would be “system tests” rather than nuclear explosions.
Wright described these as “non-critical explosions” designed to test nuclear weapon components without actual atomic detonations. The United States last conducted a nuclear explosive test in 1992, maintaining a 33-year moratorium despite never ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty that nearly 180 nations have signed.
Historical Context and Strategic Implications
Putin revoked Russia’s CTBT ratification in 2023, previously suggesting Russia would resume nuclear explosive tests if the United States did so first. North Korea remains the only nation to conduct nuclear detonations since the 1990s, with Russia’s last test occurring in 1990 and China’s in 1996.
This nuclear testing standoff emerges as America reasserts strength under Trump’s leadership, though the administration must balance deterrence with avoiding unnecessary escalation that could destabilize global security arrangements.
