CaliToday (31/10/2025): The Kremlin today issued a stark warning to the Trump administration, stating that Russia would "react in kind" if the United States proceeds with President Donald J. Trump's shocking announcement to restart live nuclear weapons testing for the first time in over 30 years.
The direct threat plunges the world's two largest nuclear powers into a new and dangerous era of brinkmanship, effectively threatening to shatter the decades-long global moratorium on nuclear detonations.
Trump's Bombshell Announcement
The crisis was ignited on Thursday when President Trump declared on his Truth Social platform the "immediate start" of new U.S. nuclear weapons tests. The U.S. has not conducted a live test of this kind since 1992.
In his post, the President justified the dramatic escalation by citing unspecified "other countries' testing programmes." The announcement, which reportedly caught allies and adversaries by surprise, did not detail the type of tests or the weapons to be trialed.
Kremlin's Rebuttal: Trump 'Incorrectly Informed'
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov moved quickly to counter the White House's justification, suggesting President Trump was acting on flawed intelligence.
"Until now, we were not aware that anyone was conducting tests," Peskov told Russian news agencies on Thursday, directly challenging the U.S. president's premise.
"He also said he hopes Trump has been 'correctly informed' about the latest Russian tests," implying that the U.S. may be misinterpreting Russian military activity.
Peskov offered a specific clarification regarding Russia's own recent weapons development:
"If this somehow refers to the testing of the 'Burevestnik,' then this is definitely not a nuclear test," Peskov stated emphatically.
He was referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent confirmation of "successful tests" of the Burevestnik, a long-range, nuclear-powered cruise missile. Peskov explained that while such systems can be equipped with nuclear warheads, the tests themselves do not involve a nuclear detonation.
"All countries are continuing to develop their defence systems, but these are not nuclear tests," he added.
A New Arms Race Looms
The Kremlin's response pivots from clarification to a direct threat, signaling the end of strategic restraint.
Peskov emphasized that while the U.S. is a "sovereign state" and has the right to conduct such tests, President Putin has already made Russia's reciprocal policy clear.
"He recalled Putin's earlier warnings that Russia would then react in kind," the spokesman said.
This policy was solidified in 2023, when President Putin signed a law withdrawing Russia's ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). At the time, Putin stated the move was to "mirror" the position of the United States, which signed the treaty in 1996 but never ratified it.
By de-ratifying the treaty, Russia put itself on a hair-trigger, ready to resume testing the moment the U.S. did. Peskov's statement today confirms that this policy is now active.
Amid the escalating rhetoric, Peskov also delivered a bleak assessment of diplomacy, noting that Russia is prepared to continue nuclear disarmament negotiations but that President Trump "has not yet responded to his proposals."
The exchange marks the most dangerous and direct confrontation over nuclear doctrine in decades, threatening to unleash a new, unrestrained arms race that the post-Cold War world has long feared.