The U.S. President noted that at the moment "we have more nuclear weapons than any other country." "Russia is in second place, and China is third with a significant gap. However, they could catch up with us within five years," he added.
It is unclear whether Trump meant full nuclear explosions, testing delivery systems, or subcritical testing, in which warheads are tested without an actual explosion.
Since 1992, the U.S. has not conducted full-scale nuclear weapons tests. The country signed but did not ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) of 1996. Since then, only subcritical underground tests have been conducted at the Nevada test site.
Russia last conducted nuclear tests in 1990, when the Soviet Union existed. Russia signed and ratified the CTBT but withdrew its signature in 2023. Previously, the U.S. accused Russia of violating the moratorium on nuclear testing.
Photo on the main page: Ng Han Guan / AP Photo / dpa / picture alliance.
