US President Donald Trump has instructed the Department of Defence, now known as the Department of War, to begin testing nuclear weapons at a level equal to China and Russia. In a Truth Social post, Trump said that because of other countries’ testing programs, he has instructed the Department to start testing Nuclear Weapons that will begin immediately.

 

 

The post came less than an hour before President Trump is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea this morning in an effort to come to a trade war truce. The meeting is the first between the two since 2019. Mr. Trump’s decision also came on the heels of Russian President Vladimir Putin saying on Sunday that Russia had successfully tested its unique nuclear-capable Burevestnik cruise missile, which the Kremlin described as part of efforts to ensure the country’s national security. The last nuclear test by the US, codenamed Divider, was carried out on 23 September 1992. Then, President George HW Bush announced a moratorium on underground nuclear testing that same year.