The Pakistan link in Trump's push to resume US nuclear testing
Trump said that Russia, China, North Korea and Pakistan continue to conduct nuclear tests while the United States remains “the only country that doesn’t.”
Pakistan has emerged as part of the justification behind US President Donald Trump's renewed push to resume nuclear weapons testing after more than three decades, as he claimed Islamabad is among the countries “actively testing” such weapons underground.
Elaborating on his claims during CBS News' 60 Minutes, Trump said that Russia, China, North Korea and Pakistan continue to conduct nuclear tests while the United States remains “the only country that doesn’t.”
“They test way underground where people don’t know exactly what’s happening,” Donald Trump said. “You feel a little bit of a vibration. They test, and we don’t. We have to test.”
He argued that it was “appropriate” for the US to restart testing, claiming it was the only nuclear state observing a self-imposed moratorium.
“Russia’s testing, China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it,” Trump said. “We’re different. We’re open. We talk about it — and we have to, because you people will report it.”
Pak under scrutiny
The US President’s comments have triggered debate within diplomatic and strategic circles, as this is the first time a sitting American leader has publicly accused Pakistan of continuing nuclear weapons tests - a claim that, if true, could raise major questions over the country's compliance with global nuclear norms.
Pakistan, which last carried out public nuclear tests in 1998 following India’s Pokhran-II trials, has yet to respond officially to the US president’s remarks. Its long-stated position is that its nuclear programme is purely defensive and subject to strong command-and-control oversight.
‘We can’t be the only country that doesn’t test’
Trump said the move to test nuclear weapons was “necessary and appropriate,” claiming that Russia and China were also engaged in undisclosed nuclear activity.
“Russia’s testing and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it,” Trump told CBS. “We’re different — we talk about it. We have to, because you people are going to report.”
He argued that the US should maintain parity with rival nuclear powers and not rely solely on simulations. “You have to see how they work,” he said. “Other countries are testing. We’re the only one that doesn’t, and I don’t want to be that country.”
Trump added that the United States has “more nuclear weapons than any other country” and that he had raised denuclearisation issues in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“We have enough nuclear weapons to blow up the world 150 times,” he said. “Russia has a lot, and China has quite a bit too.”
Also read: Trump takes credit for pausing India-Pak military conflict, yet again
Trump admin's clarification
Following Trump’s interview, US energy secretary Chris Wright clarified that the proposed testing programme would not involve nuclear detonations at this stage.
“These are system tests — non-critical explosions,” Wright said in a separate interview with Fox News. “They involve all other parts of the nuclear weapon to make sure they deliver the right geometry and safety functions.”
He said the aim was to test new components and technologies to modernise the country’s ageing nuclear arsenal. “We’re not talking about blowing things up underground,” Wright added.
Trump had earlier said he had instructed the “Department of War” to begin testing “on an equal basis,” prompting confusion over whether live nuclear trials were being planned.
