Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow would be forced to take action in response to nuclear tests conducted days after US President Donald Trump ordered Washington to “immediately” restart its own testing following a decades-long pause.
While addressing Russia’s Security Council on Wednesday, November 5, Putin warned that if the U.S. or any signatory to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) conducts nuclear weapons tests, “Russia would be under obligation to take reciprocal measures,” according to a Kremlin transcript of the meeting.
At the same time, he instructed top Kremlin officials to prepare proposals for the possible resumption of nuclear weapons testing.
Russia to Take ‘Reciprocal Measures’ if US Resumes Nuclear Tests
“Back in my 2023 address to both houses of parliament, I noted that if the United States or other state parties to the relevant treaty carried out such tests, Russia would accordingly have to take proportionate responsive measures,” Putin said.
“In this regard, I instruct the Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry, the special services, and the corresponding civilian agencies to do everything possible to gather additional information on this matter, have it analysed by the Security Council, and submit coordinated proposals on the possible first steps focusing on preparations for nuclear weapons tests.”
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Russia has not conducted any nuclear weapons tests since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
However, tensions between the two countries with the world’s largest nuclear arsenals have escalated in recent weeks as Trump’s frustration with Putin grows over Russia’s failure to end its war in Ukraine.
Russia and the United States remain the world’s largest nuclear powers, possessing the greatest number of warheads globally.
According to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation (CACNP), Moscow currently holds an estimated 5,459 nuclear warheads, with about 1,600 actively deployed.
The United States, meanwhile, has roughly 5,550 nuclear warheads, of which around 3,800 are active.
Trump cancelled a planned summit with Putin in Hungary in October and, a day later, imposed sanctions on two major Russian oil firms — the first such measures since his return to the White House in January.
Trump’s decision for the US to resume nuclear weapons testing came just days after he criticised Moscow for testing its new Burevestnik missile, which is nuclear-powered and designed to carry a nuclear warhead.
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Russia’s Top Military Officials Urge Swift Action as Nuclear Tensions Rise with the US
Defence Minister Andrei Belousov told President Putin that Washington’s recent actions have significantly increased “the level of military threat to Russia.” He stressed that it was “imperative to maintain our nuclear forces at a level of readiness sufficient to inflict unacceptable damage.”
Belousov also noted that Russia’s Arctic testing site at Novaya Zemlya could be ready to host nuclear tests at short notice.
On his part, General Valery Gerasimov, head of the General Staff, cautioned Putin that failure to act swiftly could leave Russia unprepared to respond to U.S. actions.
“If we do not take appropriate measures now, time and opportunities for a timely response to the actions of the United States will be lost, since the time required to prepare for nuclear tests, depending on their type, ranges from several months to several years,” he said.
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