Russia to Act “Accordingly” If U.S. Breaks Nuclear Test Moratorium
(MENAFN) Russia has pledged to respond “accordingly” should the United States break the longstanding moratorium on nuclear weapons testing, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
The remarks come after U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he had instructed the Pentagon to restart nuclear weapons testing, citing escalating strategic competition with Russia and China. “That process will begin immediately” in response to “other countries’ testing programs,” Trump said.
Asked about the U.S. announcement, Peskov emphasized Moscow’s position, noting “the statement by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, which has been repeated many times, that, of course, if someone abandons the moratorium [on nuclear testing], then Russia will act accordingly.” He added, “The US is a sovereign country and has every right to make sovereign decisions.”
Addressing Trump’s claims regarding other nations conducting nuclear tests, Peskov said, “we are so far not aware of this.” He also clarified Russia’s recent weapons tests, asserting, “If it is about Burevestnik, then it is not a nuclear test,” and, “All nations are developing their defense systems, but this is not a nuclear test.”
The Burevestnik missile, recently tested successfully by Russia, is a next-generation nuclear-capable cruise missile powered by a compact nuclear reactor, granting it near-unlimited range.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has carried out test launches of nuclear-capable systems this year, including an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile in February and four Trident II submarine-launched missiles in September.
Historically, Russia last tested a nuclear weapon in 1990 during the Soviet era, while the U.S. halted testing in 1992 under a Congress-mandated moratorium.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the U.S. currently maintains 5,177 nuclear warheads, Russia has 5,459, and China’s arsenal is projected to reach 1,500 by 2035.
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