Trump instructs Pentagon to start nuclear weapons tests immediately

Donald Trump has instructed the Pentagon to immediately begin testing nuclear weapons. Photo: AFP

US President Donald Trump has said that he has instructed the US Department of Defence to begin testing nuclear weapons. According to him, this decision was made in order to act «on equal terms» with Russia and China.

He wrote about this on his social media platform Truth Social.

He stressed that the United States has the world's largest nuclear weapons arsenal and recalled that during his first term in office, this capability was completely updated and modernised.

«Because of the enormous destructive power, I hated to do it, but I had no choice. Russia is in second place, China is in third place, but in five years it may overtake us. Due to the tests conducted by other countries, I have instructed the Department of War to begin its own tests on a level playing field», Donald Trump wrote.

He also noted that the testing process «would begin immediately».

Donald Trump's post. Screenshot from Truth Social

Earlier, US President Donald Trump reacted to Russian President Vladimir Putin's statements about the successful test of the nuclear cruise missile «Burevisnyk».

The announcement of the test of the «Burevisnyk» came amid the cancellation of a planned summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Shortly afterwards, the White House also imposed sanctions on two of Russia's largest oil companies — «Lukoil» and «Rosneft».