Putin: Russia cannot lag behind the US in preparing for nuclear tests.
Putin said Russia cannot lag behind the US in preparing for nuclear tests, raising the issue during negotiations; experts warn of the costs and risks of triggering a wave of tests.
Putin asserted that Russia cannot lag behind the United States in preparing for a potential nuclear test, while emphasizing that Moscow must be ready for all scenarios. The Russian leader said he would raise the issue of the US preparing for a nuclear test in upcoming bilateral talks.
Statement and context
During his visit to Kyrgyzstan on November 27, RIA quoted Putin as saying: “Preparing for actual nuclear weapons tests takes time, and we certainly cannot allow the US to test them, and we will need another year and a half to prepare. Of course, we have to think about it. We don’t say it, but we have to prepare for all eventualities. And I assure you, we will be ready.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on November 13 that if the United States conducts a nuclear weapons test, the long-standing nuclear test ban will end; he said President Putin has repeatedly stated that Russia will take corresponding action in response if other countries conduct nuclear tests.
Technical analysis: requirements for preparing for nuclear test
Restarting nuclear testing requires significant time, infrastructure, and legal processes—and considerable budget. According to U.S. Department of Energy data as of September 2023, the U.S. nuclear arsenal is under the control of the Department of Energy, not the Department of Defense. Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), stated that the White House would need to request the Department of Energy to take preparatory steps, and Congress would need to approve additional funding because the country no longer has a nuclear weapons testing program.
Kristensen noted that if a nuclear test were to be conducted, the process would be unlikely to materialize within 18 months, requiring significant funding and congressional approval.
Expert opinion
- Howard Altman (War Zone): Restarting nuclear weapons testing would be a major turning point for the U.S., very costly, and could encourage other nuclear powers to follow suit.
- Hans Kristensen (FAS): Warning of ripple effects; emphasizing procedural and budgetary requirements, along with a lengthy timeline.
- Daryl Kimball (Arms Control Association - ACA): “What will be tested” is the big question; previous tests have mainly been to test new warhead designs, ensuring desired characteristics. He said it is unclear what the U.S. wants to learn technically and “there is no reason for the U.S. to test nuclear weapons already in service.”
Kimball stated that Donald Trump's statement was politically motivated, a tit-for-tat move, and added that they hadn't seen any country conduct nuclear tests recently and that the US President would need to provide further explanation. According to him, the majority of the 1,030 previous nuclear weapons tests were conducted to test warhead designs.
Statement by Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump said the country would conduct nuclear tests because many other countries were also testing: “We’re going to do nuclear tests because many other countries are doing them, we have many other countries doing them, we have more nuclear weapons than any other country, I’m the one who modified and built some of those weapons, and I hate to do it, but I have no choice, because they already have those weapons.”
US nuclear arsenal figures (September 2023)
| Target | Quantity | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Total number of nuclear warheads | 3,748 | According to the U.S. Department of Energy |
| The warhead is in a combat-ready state. | 2,170 | According to the U.S. Department of Energy |
Tactical and deterrence aspects
From Putin's statement that "we must prepare for all eventualities" and the assessments mentioned above, it is clear that nuclear testing is considered a crucial technical and strategic step to ensure reliability and create a deterrent signal. However, according to experts, this move comes with significant costs, requires a long preparation time, and risks triggering a similar response from other nuclear powers.
Conclude
Putin emphasized that Russia cannot lag behind the US in preparing for nuclear tests and will raise this issue in bilateral negotiations. On the US side, analyses suggest that restarting testing will depend on political decisions, procedural requirements, and budgetary approvals from the Department of Energy and Congress, with an estimated timeframe of no less than 18 months. Technical constraints, costs, and spillover risks are factors that experts warn against.
