U.S TO RESUME NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTING- To confirm that the U.S. nuclear arsenal is on an “equal basis” with other nuclear powers
U.S. President Donald Trump today ordered the U.S. military to immediately resume testing nuclear weapons, minutes before beginning a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump made the announcement on his social media account while aboard the Marine One helicopter enroute to meet Xi for a trade negotiating session in Busan, South Korea. The U.S. President stated that he was instructing the Pentagon to conduct the test to confirm that the U.S. nuclear arsenal is on an “equal basis” with other nuclear powers.
Trump’s decision to restart nuclear weapons testing follows a rapid expansion by China of its nuclear stockpile in recent years, and came just after Russia announced what it called a successful test of a nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable cruise missile as well as a nuclear-powered torpedo.
The United States last tested a nuclear weapon in 1992.
