Donald Trump call for nuclear tests to trigger World War 3? Experts predict shocking consequences

Donald Trump's call for the start of nuclear weapons testing has shocked the entire world as US preparations for a shock resumption of explosive testing after more than 30 years. The US president said he had ordered the Pentagon to start nuclear weapons testing "on an equal basis" to China and Russia. The last time Russia officially tested a nuclear weapon was in 1990, and the United States last tested a nuclear bomb in 1992. North Korea is the only country to have conducted nuclear weapons tests this century.

Trump's announcement came after President Vladimir Putin said that Russia had in recent days tested nuclear-powered, nuclear-capable weapons -- the Burevestnik cruise missile and the Poseidon underwater drone. On Thursday, the Kremlin sought to cool tensions, saying those tests did not constitute a test of an atomic weapon.

William Alberque, a former head of NATO's nuclear non-proliferation centre, pointed to Trump's lack of clarity. "Initially, I thought Trump was reacting to Russia's announcements about new systems like the nuclear-powered cruise missile Burevestnik and the Poseidon torpedo. So my first interpretation was that Trump was referring to system testing, not warhead testing," he told AFP.


But like all nuclear powers, the United States already tests its weapons. In September, the United States carried out tests of its nuclear-capable Trident missiles.

Alberque said that after closely examining Trump's statements, he was inclined to think that "he's talking about warhead testing."

Some experts said Trump's latest pronouncements were a gift to the governments of Russia and China. In 2023, Putin ordered the Russian defence ministry and the nuclear agency Rosatom to "ensure readiness for testing Russian nuclear weapons".

"We know for certain that some figures in Washington are already considering the possibility of conducting live tests of their nuclear weapons," Putin said during his address to the Federal Assembly in February, 2023. "But if the US conducts tests, then we will too," President Putin stated.

Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Washington-based Arms Control Association, said on X that Trump's policy was "incoherent: calling for denuclearisation talks one day; threatening nuclear tests the next". The resumption of such tests "could trigger a chain reaction of nuclear testing by US adversaries, and blow apart the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty," Kimball said.

FAQs

Q1. Have U.S. recently tested nuclear-capable missiles?
A1. In September, the United States carried out tests of its nuclear-capable Trident missiles.

Q2. Who is President of USA?
A2. President of USA is Donald Trump.