- October 30, 2025
- 1:01 pm
- World News
US President Donald Trump on Thursday, October 30, 2025, ordered the resumption of nuclear weapons testing, which became news on the eve of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. This decision was made for the first time in 33 years.
Trump made the announcement on the Truth Social platform while aboard the Marine One helicopter. He informed that he is instructing the Pentagon to conduct tests of the US nuclear arsenal on equal terms with other nuclear powers.
“In light of testing programs in other countries, I have ordered the Department of Defense to begin testing our nuclear weapons on equal terms. This process will begin immediately,” Trump noted in his post.
Reaction to the Resumption of Testing
Following Trump’s announcement, Congress reacted instantly. Representative Dina Titus, a Democrat from Nevada, stated that she would initiate a bill to stop this decision. The Director of the Arms Control Association, Daryl Kimball, emphasizes that the resumption of nuclear weapons testing will take at least 36 months.
The Danger of New Tests
Kimball also noted that premature US tests could provoke a “chain reaction” of nuclear tests by adversaries, violating the existing nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Pointing to the lack of technical and political necessity for such actions, he characterized Trump’s statement as “disinformation.” Throughout this time, Putin emphasized that Russia would respond to any US actions in this area.
Increasing Nuclear Threat from China
Trump’s decision to resume testing was a reaction to the rapid increase in China’s nuclear arsenal, which doubled its stockpile over the past five years, reaching 600 nuclear warheads in 2025, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. It is expected that by 2030 this number will exceed 1,000.
Support and Opposition
Trump also commented on new tests in Russia, noting that President Putin should focus more on ending the conflict in Ukraine instead of testing new missiles. Such statements underscore the growing tension in international relations.
Tests as Part of Defense Strategy
Trump made it clear that returning to testing is necessary to maintain competitiveness with other nuclear powers. However, it is unclear whether these will be tests of nuclear explosive nature or other nuclear systems.
Historical Significance
The last time the United States conducted nuclear weapons tests was in 1992. It is known that other major nuclear powers, except North Korea, ceased such tests in the 1990s. Accordingly, the resumption of such tests has sparked storms of discussions and concerns in the international community.
Trump expressed concerns that China’s nuclear resources are growing rapidly, and countries must vigilantly monitor this development. Notably, even decades after the Cold War, the nuclear issue remains key in international negotiations and politics.
