Overview
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Vladimir Putin has not ordered the initiation of preparations for nuclear tests and that specialists are assessing whether such steps are necessary.
- Earlier in the week, Putin asked the defense and foreign ministries, intelligence services, and other agencies to present a consensual proposal on a possible start to preparations.
- Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said the government is working on that instruction and preparing proposals, while providing no timeline or technical details.
- Russian officials reiterated commitment to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and warned they could take symmetrical measures if the United States proceeds with tests.
- Russia’s UN envoy Vasili Nebenzia cautioned that resuming tests risks a new arms race, as reporting also cites a canceled Trump–Putin meeting, fresh U.S. sanctions, and a recent unarmed U.S. ICBM test.