Washington D.C. [U.S.]
U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that Pakistan is among several countries actively testing nuclear weapons, arguing that the United States must resume its own testing to maintain parity with other nuclear powers.
In an interview aired on CBS News’s 60 Minutes on Sunday, Trump said that nations such as Russia, China, North Korea, and Pakistan have continued nuclear testing, while the U.S. remains the only one abstaining.
“Russia’s testing, China’s testing—but they don’t talk about it. We’re an open society; we talk about it because our media will report it,” Trump said. “We’re going to test because they test—and certainly North Korea and Pakistan have been testing,” he added.
Trump made the remarks while defending his administration’s decision to restart U.S. nuclear tests after more than three decades. His comments follow reports of Russia’s trials of advanced nuclear-capable systems, including the Poseidon underwater drone.
Explaining his reasoning, Trump stated, “You need to understand how these systems work. Russia announced a new test, and North Korea is constantly testing. Other countries are doing it—we’re the only one that doesn’t. I don’t want to be that country anymore.”
The U.S. President asserted that Washington possesses “more nuclear weapons than any other country” and noted that he had previously discussed nuclear disarmament with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“We have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world 150 times,” Trump remarked. “Russia has many, and China is rapidly building up.”
Trump’s comments come shortly after he announced the immediate resumption of U.S. nuclear testing, describing it as an “appropriate step” in response to Moscow’s recent weapons trials.
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, he said, “Denuclearisation would be wonderful, but with others conducting tests, I think it’s appropriate that we do the same.” He added that preparations for testing were already underway but declined to reveal specific details.
When asked if renewed U.S. testing could heighten global tensions, Trump replied, “I think we have it pretty well under control.”
