Russia has reaffirmed its commitment to the nuclear weapons testing moratorium despite US plans to resume tests. The Kremlin warns of responding if the United States breaks the three-decade pause.
Russia has reaffirmed that President Vladimir Putin has not ordered any nuclear weapons testing and that the country remains committed to its long-standing moratorium on such tests. The Kremlin on Sunday restated that Moscow will maintain the ban but warned it would resume nuclear testing if the United States breaks the three-decade international pause.
The clarification came after US President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon to resume testing of nuclear weapons “on an equal basis” with other countries’ tests.
The Kremlin declared that Russia will continue to observe the moratorium on nuclear weapons testing. However, it warned that Moscow would be forced to act if Washington resumes such tests.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed Russia’s adherence to its commitments under international nuclear testing bans while emphasising the need to preserve strategic balance.
“Russia will maintain its moratorium on nuclear weapons testing,” he said. “But if the United States breaks the three-decade-long international pause, we would be compelled to respond to maintain strategic parity with other nuclear powers.”
“If Washington indeed carries out nuclear weapons tests, Russia will have to reciprocate. Nuclear parity is precisely the most important component, probably for the entire global security architecture these days,” Peskov added.
The US President had directed the Department of War to begin testing American nuclear weapons.
“The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office. Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years.”
MOSCOW AWAITING US RESPONSE ON WEAPONS FREEZE: LAVROV
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in an interview published by RIA Novosti on Sunday, said Moscow is still waiting for a response from Washington regarding Putin’s earlier proposal to maintain a quantitative freeze on strategic nuclear weapons once the New START Treaty expires in February next year.
Lavrov confirmed that no substantive reply had yet been received from the US. “We are told through diplomatic channels that the matter is being considered. We are not trying to persuade anyone. We believe our move is in the interests of both sides and the entire international community. We are prepared for any development. However, we hope the outcome will be positive,” he said.
The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), signed in 2010 and implemented in 2011, requires both the United States and Russia to limit their deployed strategic warheads to no more than 1,550 and their strategic missiles and bombers to no more than 700. The treaty was extended in 2018 for another five years, but verification was suspended following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions.
Both sides later agreed to voluntarily observe the treaty’s limits for an additional year. Putin in September offered to extend the voluntary moratorium by another year beginning in February 2025.
In recent months, Russia tested its nuclear-powered “Burevestnik” cruise missile and the “Poseidon” underwater drone, both with virtually unlimited range.
Moscow last carried out a nuclear test in 1990, and Washington conducted its most recent one in 1992.
With inputs from PTI
