Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will soon resume nuclear weapons testing, ending a 33-year voluntary moratorium.
The announcement came ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. Trump said the decision was made to keep pace with the expanding nuclear programs of Russia and China.
According to Trump, while the U.S. halted testing for decades, both rival nations have continued to enhance their capabilities. The U.S. currently possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, followed by Russia. Although China lags far behind, it is expected to catch up within five years. Trump said the U.S. “cannot afford to stay behind,” and directed relevant departments to restart testing.
