Russian President Vladimir Putin did not take long to respond to his American counterpart Donald Trump, and both placed the nuclear weapons testing truce, in force for more than three decades, very close to its end point.
During an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council, the Russian president heard from his closest collaborators arguments about the need to resume tests that have not been carried out since 1990, the agency reports. Eph.
President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia could resume its nuclear tests if the United States decides to do the same, in response to the statements of his counterpart Donald Trump, who ordered the Pentagon to “start testing” American nuclear weapons. #AFP pic.twitter.com/SMyEp2xtmV
— Agence France-Presse (@AFPespanol) November 5, 2025
They all agreed to send a message to the West that one cannot speak with Russia in the language of sanctions, as there was a risk of a nuclear response.
This move occurs shortly after Trump urged the War Department – before the Defense Department – to carry out nuclear weapons tests on “equal conditions” with Russia and China.
“I really hate doing it, but I have no choice,” said the White House tenant, quoted by Efe.
The United States announced a shift in its defense strategy: President Donald Trump declared that the country will resume nuclear testing, arguing that other nations already do so and that Washington possesses “more nuclear weapons than anyone else” ➡️ https://t.co/b32dpPIrJd pic.twitter.com/rcEIZtS1bD
— FRANCE 24 Spanish (@France24_es) October 31, 2025
However, Trump did not clarify the details of the possible tests, which triggered uncertainty in the world and suspicions in the Kremlin.
Finally, the Russian leader has opted for a variant between Solomonic and contradictory: maintaining the moratorium while the US does the same and requesting a report from the Government on the need to resume nuclear testing.
Peak climbing
Although they have shown themselves in favor of bringing closer positions on various international policy issues, Trump and Putin seem willing to maintain tension regarding these weapons.
The United States refuses to renew START III, the last nuclear disarmament treaty between both powers that expires in February, and has not yet officially responded to the Russian proposal to extend its validity by one year.
Both powers consider the current strategic arms control system obsolete, since it does not include China, but neither does it include France and the United Kingdom, North Korea, India, Pakistan or Israel, the members of the unofficial nuclear club, highlights the Spanish media.
The former USSR carried out the last test in the Arctic archipelago of Nueva Zembla, in 1990, while the US carried it out in 1992, in the state of Nevada.
China, which refuses to join the treaty that is still in force, carried out one test in 1996, while North Korea has carried out six between 2006 and 2017.
Cards on the table
The Western reaction to the position taken by Putin has been described as “anti-Russian militaristic hysteria” by Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov.
The apparent arms truce began to show signs of exhaustion this year. In May, Trump announced the future deployment of the so-called Golden Dome, made up of an advanced network of satellites and interceptors, which will, in theory, protect the entire US territory against a possible attack at any point on its border.
☢️ According to the Kremlin, the Russian army has carried out a successful test of its new nuclear cruise missile, Burevestnik, during which it traveled 14,000 km in 15 hours. Putin maintains that the weapon can evade any anti-missile defense and that Russia is ready for its… pic.twitter.com/mlHPpwGNyE
— The Political Room (@Political_Room) October 26, 2025
On the Russian side, tests with the unmanned Poseidon submersible and the 9M730 Burevestnik missile recently emerged, both powered by nuclear engines and described by Putin as “invincible” weapons. In both cases, the Kremlin was quick to clarify that they were not nuclear tests.
This Wednesday the display of weapons muscle had a new chapter with the test of a Minuteman III type intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
According to the War Department, the projectile was unarmed and its launch had been scheduled years in advance. This is the first test of one of these projectiles, capable of carrying up to three nuclear warheads, since Trump announced the return of the United States to testing nuclear weapons, an issue that has been put on hold since 1992.
