Overview
- At a Security Council meeting, Vladimir Putin told ministries and security agencies to draft options for preparing nuclear tests, citing U.S. statements on resuming testing.
- Putin warned Russia would take reciprocal measures if any CTBT signatory conducts an explosive test, though the Kremlin set no deadline for proposals.
- Donald Trump said the U.S. will restart testing on an “equal basis” with other countries, while Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the discussions concern system tests rather than nuclear explosions.
- Russian defense officials pointed to Novaya Zemlya as a potential site and said preparations for explosive tests could take months to years if ordered.
- More than a dozen U.S. senators urged Trump to abandon plans for explosive testing, as the U.S. conducted a long‑scheduled unarmed Minuteman III missile launch unrelated to nuclear detonations.