Trump wants to revive nuclear weapons tests - what's behind it?

Trump wants to revive nuclear weapons tests - what's behind it?

On November 6, 2025, former US President Donald Trump reiterated his plans to resume nuclear weapons testing. This announcement comes in a global context in which other countries, particularly Russia and China, are currently expanding their nuclear capabilities. Trump stated that the United States should resume its nuclear weapons tests based on other nations' testing programs to check and prepare their systems. This marks a significant step as the last US nuclear weapons test took place in 1992 and since then there has been a moratorium supported by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).

Shortly afterwards, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his government to examine the advisability of testing nuclear weapons. Information on this should be collected from the defense and foreign ministries as well as from secret services in order to develop possible proposals for the preparation and implementation of nuclear weapons tests. The situation is further complicated by reports of Russian nuclear threats, including its novel weapon systems such as the Burevestnik long-range nuclear-powered missile and the Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedo.

Unclear test goals and international concerns

The exact objective of the planned tests by the USA remains unclear. Observers suspect that the testing activities could particularly target launch vehicles and other systems for nuclear bombs. However, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasized that these are not nuclear explosions, but rather system tests. Trump did not provide specific details about the planned tests in his video message, potentially raising concerns about the actual direction and intention of the US.

International reactions to this development are mixed. While Russia has stepped up its threats, many foreign actors are reacting with less concern to the launchers' announcement than to previous threats from the Kremlin. Experts believe that the US's resumption of nuclear weapons testing could motivate other countries to take similar steps, further destabilizing already fragile global security architectures.

The current state of the world's nuclear arsenals

Since the end of the Cold War, there has been a decline in global nuclear weapons stocks due to the dismantling of decommissioned atomic bombs, particularly in Russia and the USA. Nevertheless, China continues to rapidly grow its nuclear arsenal, with around 100 new warheads per year since 2023. No country has conducted nuclear tests so far in 1998, with the exception of North Korea, which stopped its last tests in 2017.

The CTBT, which was adopted in 1996 and ratified by most states, was not ratified by the US and Russia withdrew its ratification at the end of 2023. Political scientists point out that it is unlikely that new disarmament treaties will be concluded in the near future, as Russia and China show no interest in reducing their nuclear weapons stocks. Existing non-proliferation and disarmament treaties, such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), are currently unable to defuse increasing tensions.

All of this points to a worrying development in the global security situation. It remains to be seen how the international community will respond to Trump's announcement and what further steps Russia and other nations will take in this tense nuclear arms race.