Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed senior officials to consider whether Moscow should start preparing to conduct nuclear weapons tests in response to Donald Trump's recent threats. Putin held a Security Council meeting to reflect on the possibilities of renewing the nuclear doctrine shortly after the US President hinted at conducting nuclear tests late last month.
US Vice President JD Vance and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have expressed support for Trump’s decision to conduct nuclear tests.
Meanwhile, Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov said that Moscow should immediately start preparing to carry out full-scale nuclear tests.
Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, mentioned that it could take anywhere from several months to several years to make the necessary arrangements for nuclear experiments, depending on the type of test the country wants to carry out.
He added that Russia will miss the opportunity to respond to the US action if appropriate measures are not taken now.
In response, Putin said Moscow will persist with adhering to its obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CNTBT).
He also referred to a speech that he gave in 2023, where the Russian President stated that Moscow would have to take necessary countermeasures if the United States or other countries were to conduct a nuclear test.
He then directed the officials to present a proposal on the feasibility of restarting work to prepare for nuclear weapons tests.
Currently, there are more than 12,331 nuclear warheads, with over 9,600 in active military stockpiles, according to the Federation of Atomic Scientists' 2025 Status of the World’s Nuclear Forces.
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