Russia Will Respond Symmetrically to U.S. Nuclear Tests

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the order by U.S. President Donald Trump to resume nuclear weapons testing, reminded on Thursday that a moratorium on nuclear tests remains in effect.

"President Trump mentioned in his statement that other countries are conducting nuclear tests. Until now, we were not aware that anyone was conducting tests. And if he is somehow referring to the tests of the Burevestnik, these are not nuclear tests at all," he stated.

The spokesperson noted that "all countries are developing their defense systems," while emphasizing that "the U.S. is a sovereign country and has the right to make sovereign decisions."

"But I want to recall the statement by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, which he has repeated on numerous occasions, that if anyone deviates from the moratorium, Russia will act in accordance with the situation," he underscored.

Immediate Nuclear Tests

On October 30, Trump instructed the U.S. Armed Forces to begin nuclear weapons testing "immediately," arguing that the move is justified "due to the testing programs of other countries."

"For their tremendous destructive power, I hated to do it, but I had no other choice!" he claimed, while maintaining that the U.S. has more nuclear weapons than any other nation.

The order from the American leader follows Russia's announcement of a series of tests of its innovative nuclear-powered weapons, such as the Burevestnik and the Poseidon.