Former President Donald Trump has instructed the U.S. Department of Defense to resume nuclear weapons testing. Further, he wants the submarine testing to at least parallel the levels that China and Russia are doing. This directive comes amid escalating geopolitical tensions, particularly after Russia’s recent developments in nuclear capabilities.
Today, Russia has the biggest stockpile of known nuclear weapons in the world, with more than 5,500 warheads. The U.S. currently has 5,044 nuclear weapons in its total arsenal. The last time the U.S. tested a new nuclear weapon was on September 23, 1992, with the test codenamed “Divider.” Since then, the U.S. has pledged not to test another nuclear weapon. It retains the authority to restart test explosions at its Nevada National Security Site.
You’ve seen Trump now really advocate for this kind of re-testing. This fits with his previous plan to tenfold the U.S. nuclear arsenal, at one point, in his first term. In December 2016, he took to Twitter to express concerns about the state of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, stating, “The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.”
The announcement for the need for testing is made in a time of increased nuclear threats from Russia. Just two days ago, Moscow announced the successful test of its experimental “unique” nuclear-capable Burevestnik cruise missile. They even test launched the Poseidon nuclear powered super torpedo. The latter can potentially cause unprecedented chaos along our coasts by creating gigantic, deadly radioactive ocean tsunamis. Together, these advances have driven panic among U.S. officials and the international community.
Vladimir Putin’s recent declaration that Russia had resumed testing the Burevestnik has ratcheted up debates on global nuclear strategy. In fact, Sergei Ryabkov, a deputy foreign minister and close aide to Putin, let slip that Russia had warned the U.S. beforehand that they were conducting these tests. With intelligence suggesting likely invasion plans from Russia, Trump condemned Putin’s announcement as “not acceptable.”
In reaction to Trump’s directive and increasing nuclear threats, there are now calls to legislate. Congresswoman Dina Titus stated, “I’ll be introducing legislation to put a stop to this,” reflecting concerns over the potential implications of resuming nuclear testing.
As the situation unfolds, Trump’s directives and Russia’s military advancements may significantly impact international relations and contribute to further arms race dynamics. The world is paying close attention, as these developments have the potential to change the nuclear strategy landscape entirely.