Washington: President Donald Trump announced that the United States will resume nuclear weapons testing, citing the need to keep pace with rival nations that have continued their own programs.

In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said, “Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.”

The President did not specify when or where the tests would occur, or which weapons systems might be involved. If carried out, it would mark the first U.S. nuclear detonation since 1992, when Washington imposed a voluntary moratorium and shifted to computer-based simulations and sub-critical experiments.

Russia tests nuclear-powered underwater drone

Trump’s announcement came just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Moscow had successfully tested its Poseidon nuclear-capable underwater drone, an unmanned system reportedly powered by a miniature nuclear reactor.

Speaking during a visit to a military hospital in Moscow, Putin said the test demonstrated both the launch mechanism and the activation of the drone’s nuclear propulsion system. He claimed Poseidon has “no interception methods” and can travel at extreme depths and speeds, calling it a “tremendous success” for Russia’s defence industry.

According to Russian state media, the Poseidon, first unveiled in 2018, is about 20 meters long, weighs roughly 100 tons, and is capable of reaching speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour while diving deeper than 1,000 meters. Putin added that its destructive power “significantly exceeds” even that of Russia’s Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile.

Widening nuclear tensions

The test follows Moscow’s earlier announcement of a successful launch of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile, a move Trump described last week as “not appropriate.” He urged Putin to focus on ending the war in Ukraine rather than escalating nuclear rhetoric.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has also signed a law terminating the already defunct plutonium disposal agreement with the United States, aimed at limiting production of nuclear weapons-grade material, RT reported.

The agreement, signed in September 2000, required both Russia and the United States to dispose of 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium that was no longer needed for military purposes.