President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will begin testing nuclear weapons again after stopping for more than 30 years. He said the U.S. will test its weapons on an “equal basis” with other countries like Russia and China, which are already running nuclear tests.

What Trump Said

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, just before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping. In his post, he said:

“Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis.”

He said the testing will start “immediately,” but did not give details about what kind of nuclear tests will happen.

Trump also said the U.S. has more nuclear warheads than any other country and credited himself for “updating and improving” America’s weapons during his first term. He added that Russia has the second-largest stockpile and China is “a distant third, but will be even within five years.”

Trump said he did not want to restart testing because of how powerful nuclear weapons are, but felt he had “no choice.”

How Many Nuclear Weapons Do the U.S., Russia, and China Have?

According to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released in June 2025:

  • United States: 1,770 active warheads and 1,930 in storage — a total of 3,700 nuclear warheads.

  • Russia: 1,718 active warheads and 2,591 stored — a total of 4,309 warheads.

  • China: 24 active warheads and 576 stored — a total of 600 warheads.

Both the U.S. and Russia retired some old weapons in 2025 — 1,477 by the U.S. and 1,150 by Russia.

The SIPRI report said China’s nuclear arsenal is growing faster than any other country’s. Its stockpile increased by 100 warheads in one year, from 500 to 600. By January 2025, China had nearly finished building around 350 new ICBM silos — underground launch sites for intercontinental ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear weapons thousands of miles.

Why This Matters

Trump’s decision likely comes in response to new Russian nuclear developments. Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country tested a nuclear-powered underwater drone called Poseidon. This drone can carry a nuclear warhead and travel long distances underwater because it uses a small nuclear reactor for power. Putin said Poseidon’s warhead is even stronger than Russia’s newest long-range missile, Sarmat.

Putin also revealed another new weapon — a nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile named Burevestnik. This missile can stay in the air for days and strike targets from an unlimited range.

These new Russian tests, along with China’s rapid buildup, appear to have pushed Trump to restart U.S. nuclear testing.

If the plan moves forward, it would mark the first time the U.S. has carried out nuclear tests since the early 1990s, ending a pause that lasted more than three decades. Many experts believe this decision could increase global tensions and lead to a new nuclear arms race.

Published: 30th October 2025

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