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Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, Russia, US News, Vladimir Putin, World News
Liv Bridge
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, Russia, US News, Vladimir Putin, World News
Donald Trump has just made a fresh and 'immediate' demand over nuclear weapons as WW3 fears continue to snowball.
In case you've been living under a rock, the US President Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have been flexing their nuclear capabilities in thinly veiled threats of retaliation should anyone go and hit the red button.
In summer, the POTUS teased US nuclear submarines had been moved following a heated exchange of words with the deputy chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev, who snapped back that Trump's statements posed a 'threat and a step towards war'.
Earlier this month, an American spy plane was seen circulating Moscow's skies while the country's foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov straight up said Washington would face their wrath if found to be conducting nuclear tests.
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Despite the ominous warning, Trump is appearing to ignore it by instructing the Department of War to get to work on testing nuclear weapons for the first time in 33 years.
Announcing the decision on Truth Social, the president said he 'hated' having to make the order but deemed it necessary due to 'other countries testing programs'.
"The United States has more nuclear weapons than any other country," Trump penned. "This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office."
"Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice!
"Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within five years."
The 79-year-old then revealed he has asked the department 'to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis,' stating it will begin 'immediately'.
Speaking from Air Force One, the president told reporters the testing has been necessary to ensure the US keeps pace with rival nuclear powers - and to show that the US isn't 'playing games.'
"With others doing testing, I think it's appropriate that we do also," he said before adding that nuclear test sites are yet to be determined.
The president also stated he would be in favor of denuclearisation, again reiterating that the US has 'so many' ahead of Russia and China but that the latter is due to 'catch up' within four to five years.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, Beijing has more than doubled the size of its arsenal to an estimated 600 nuclear weapons this year, up from 300 just five years ago in 2020.
It is anticipated the country will have more than 1,000 nuclear weapons by 2030.
Meanwhile, Arms Control Association reports the US has a current stockpile of 5,225 nuclear warheads, while Russia has 5,580.
Trump's order also comes as Moscow celebrated a supposed successful test of a nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable Burevestnik cruise missile as well as launch drills on October 21 and October 22.
Daryl Kimball, director of the Arms Control Association, revealed it would take the US more than two years to pick up contained nuclear tests at his former testing ground in Nevada.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, he wrote: "Trump is misinformed and out of touch. The U.S. has no technical, military, or political reason to resume nuclear explosive testing for the first time since 1992.
"No country except North Korea has conducted a nuclear test explosion in this century," he continued, arguing that Trump's initiative could 'trigger a chain reaction of nuclear testing by U.S. adversaries, and blow apart the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.'