U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that his announcement of an immediate resumption of nuclear testing is focused on achieving “denuclearization” and including China in non-proliferation treaty negotiations with Russia.
“I would like to see denuclearization, because we have a lot of (nuclear weapons) and Russia has suffered. Russia is second and China is third and China is going to be ahead in four or five years. I think de-escalation, what I would call denuclearization would be a great thing. Something we’re talking about with Russia and we want to add China if we do that,” Trump said on Air Force One returning from South Korea, where he met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.
Trump seeks denuclearization
🇺🇸🚀 “I would like to see denuclearization,” Trump said after meeting in South Korea with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping https://t.co/s5WdzVudL2 pic.twitter.com/7Oyu7vhFjS
– RT en Español (@ActualidadRT) October 30, 2025
Trump paraphrased in this way a comment posted earlier on the social network Truth, in which he assured that the U.S. was going to resume nuclear tests “on an equal basis” with Moscow and Beijing, after Russia conducted maneuvers of its nuclear forces.
“Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the War Department to begin testing our nuclear weapons on a level playing field. That process will begin immediately,” Trump wrote on the platform.
The president downplayed the importance after being asked by journalists about the possibility that these tests could increase the nuclear risk in the world.
“I see them doing tests and I say to myself: if they do tests we will have to do them.”
The last U.S. nuclear test was in 1992, the year in which President George Bush (1989-93) announced a moratorium on subway nuclear testing.
The U.S. has since limited its testing to ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads and defense systems.
In fact, a week ago the Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) initiated the annual Global Thunder exercises, to similarly defend the United States against a nuclear attack.
The United States could relatively easily restart nuclear testing on its federal land in the state of Nevada, where the last subway test was conducted.
China’s last test of a nuclear bomb was in 1996 and in the more recent past Russia has limited itself to testing systems that can deliver nuclear weapons, not the atomic bombs themselves.
The U.S.-New START nonproliferation treaty expires on February 4 and there is no clear path to replace it.
Moscow pulled out of verification and monitoring commitments in 2023 and has since said it will abide by the agreement’s requirements on a voluntary basis, provided the U.S. does so as well.
I would like to see denuclearization, because we have a lot of (nuclear weapons) and Russia has suffered. Russia is second and China is third and China is going to be ahead in four or five years
Donald Trump
With information from EFE
