Russia drawing up plans to conduct nuclear tests after Trump announcement
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday his country will draw up plans to conduct nuclear tests after President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would do the same last week.The Kremlin...
By Fox News · Fox News
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday his country will draw up plans to conduct nuclear tests after President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would do the same last week. The Kremlin leader said he has asked relevant departments to "submit coordinated proposals regarding the possible commencement of work to prepare for nuclear weapons testing." "Russia has always strictly adhered and continues to adhere to its obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) , and we have no plans to deviate from these commitments," Putin said at a meeting of the Russian national security council. The treaty was signed but never ratified by the U.S. TRUMP BREAKS 33-YEAR NUCLEAR TESTING SILENCE AS WORLD BRACES FOR DANGEROUS NEW ARMS RACE If the U.S. or other signatories of the treaty begin nuclear testing, "Russia would also have to take appropriate and proportionate responsive measures," Putin added. In the past week, Trump has both announced the U.S. will reignite nuclear testing and suggested he is working on a deal to denuclearize with Russia and China. "We redid our nuclear — we're the number one nuclear power, which I hate to admit, because it's so horrible," Trump said during a speech at the American Business Forum in Miami. TRUMP STUNS WITH CALL TO RESUME NUCLEAR TESTS — WHY NOW, AND WHAT IT COULD MEAN "Russia's second. China's a distant third, but they'll catch us within four or five years," he added. "We're maybe working on a plan to denuclearize, the three of us. We'll see if that works." Last week, Trump announced on Truth Social, "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 War Department handles the testing of nuclear-capable weapons, while the Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) would be responsible for testing explosives. Some 1400 workers, 80% of the NNSA, are currently…