Overview
- President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to resume U.S. nuclear tests and reiterated the directive on Nov. 6, alleging secret Russian and Chinese tests without presenting public evidence.
- U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said planned American activities would involve testing nuclear weapons without nuclear explosions, softening the implications of Trump's remarks.
- Vladimir Putin directed ministries and security agencies to gather information and propose steps for potential test preparations, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressing this was not an instruction to begin testing.
- Russian Defense Minister Andrey Beloussov urged immediate large-scale preparations at the Novaya Zemlya range, asserting the site could be readied to conduct tests in short order.
- SIPRI data place the global stockpile at roughly 12,241 warheads in early 2025 and highlight China’s rapid buildup to about 600 warheads, intensifying concerns over escalation and erosion of verification norms.