On Wednesday, November 5, Vladimir Putin warned the United States that Russia would take counter‑measure actions if the U.S. carried out nuclear tests, following Donald Trump’s announcement to resume such testing.
Putin Addresses National Security Council
During a meeting of the National Security Council, Putin cited Trump’s announcement and warned that if the United States conducted nuclear tests, Russia would be compelled to take appropriate counter‑measures. He instructed the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence to gather additional information, analyse it within the Council, and present joint proposals regarding potential preparations for nuclear weapon tests.
The Russian defence minister joined the discussion, urging a prompt and appropriate response to Washington’s actions. Russian foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin reported that the Russian ambassador in Washington had sent a telegram to American officials to clarify Trump’s controversial remarks.
Russia’s Nuclear‑Powered Weapon Tests
In recent days the Kremlin has expressed concern over Trump’s statements about nuclear tests. Putin and his advisers said that the American president’s remarks were a reaction to Russia’s tests of the Borei‑Viestnik missile and the Poseidon torpedo‑drone, both nuclear‑powered platforms capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
On the day before the National Security Council convened, Putin awarded designers of Borei‑Viestnik and Poseidon and announced the start of serial production for the Oriesni system, also capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Trump Announces Resumption of U.S. Nuclear Tests
Last week, Donald Trump ordered American military leaders to restart nuclear weapon testing and announced this move on the TruthSocial platform just before a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. His announcement recalled the 1992 U.S. moratorium on underground nuclear tests, imposed by President George H.W. Bush.
The decision has drawn criticism from nuclear scientists and non‑proliferation activists, who argue that Washington would only provoke similar actions from Beijing and Moscow. Experts note that only one site in the United States—the Nevada Test Site near Las Vegas—could accommodate such tests, and that preparations could take at least two years. Trump declared, “In some places they do it. If they can, we will do it too,” and the Energy Secretary explained that the tests would involve “non‑nuclear explosions” to develop advanced systems for improving U.S. nuclear weapons.
