The long-standing U.S. moratorium on nuclear explosions is facing profound uncertainty after Donald Trump ordered a resumption of “testing.” The directive, posted on social media, has sparked widespread confusion and fears that the U.S. may conduct its first physical detonation since 1992.
The confusion is centered on the ambiguity of Trump’s post, which instructed the “Department of War” to “start testing.” It is not known if this refers to computational modeling or a physical explosion, the latter of which would shatter the existing moratorium.
Trump defended the directive by accusing other nations of breaking their own commitments. He claimed in a CBS interview that both Russia and China are conducting secret tests “way underground.”
This claim was met with a swift denial from China. A foreign ministry spokesperson rejected the allegation, insisting that Beijing is a “responsible nuclear-weapons state” and has always “abided by its commitment to suspend nuclear testing.”
This move comes shortly after Russia tested a new nuclear-powered cruise missile, escalating global tensions. Trump also recently claimed the U.S. possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, adding to the rhetoric of a renewed arms race.