Nuclear Weapons Testing

Trump’s Nuclear Order: Russia, China, and UN Pushback

Upon his return to the US, President Trump announced on social media, just prior to a summit with China’s leader, that he had instructed the Department of War to begin nuclear weapons testing, citing other countries’ testing programs. This directive, which remains unclear whether it pertains to weapons system testing or actual explosions, has raised concerns, particularly from China and Russia. Russia questioned the accuracy of Trump’s information, and implied they would conduct their own live warhead tests if the US resumed them. The last US nuclear test occurred in 1992, and such a move would directly contradict the existing Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

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Trump Orders Pentagon to Begin Immediate Nuclear Weapons Testing

Trump asks Pentagon to immediately start testing US nuclear weapons, and the immediate reaction is, well, pretty understandable. It’s a headline that grabs you by the throat, doesn’t it? The idea of restarting nuclear weapons testing isn’t something you shrug off lightly. The sheer weight of potential consequences, the decades of international efforts to curb proliferation, and the inherent risks all combine to make this a deeply unsettling prospect.

Trump asks Pentagon to immediately start testing US nuclear weapons, and the thing that’s immediately striking is the timing. It’s often mentioned that he made this statement ahead of a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.… Continue reading