Dmitry Peskov says both Moscow and Beijing remain committed to moratoriums on nuclear detonations
The Kremlin has called for clarification from Washington following recent remarks by US President Donald Trump, who claimed that Russia and China are secretly conducting nuclear weapons tests.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told RT on Tuesday that neither country has resumed such activities and that both remain committed to existing international agreements.
“We probably still need to receive some clarifications from the American side,” Peskov said. “Neither Russia nor China has resumed any nuclear tests. Moreover, both Moscow and Beijing insist that all countries remain committed to their obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.”
Peskov made the remarks days after Trump claimed in a televised interview that the US was the “only country that doesn’t test” nuclear weapons, and suggested that both Moscow and Beijing had resumed such activities.
He ordered the Pentagon last week to begin preparations to restart nuclear testing.
“What the head of the American state means, we simply cannot say right now, unfortunately,” the Kremlin spokesman added.
The US last carried out a full-scale nuclear test in 1992; a moratorium has been in place since then.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarified on Sunday that the tests ordered by Trump would not involve live detonations, describing them as “non-critical” trials meant to ensure the reliability of aging components.
Despite Trump’s assertions, Russia’s most recent nuclear-related tests – including the launch of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile and the Poseidon underwater drone – did not involve nuclear explosions.
Putin has previously indicated that Russia would only consider resuming testing if other nuclear powers officially abandon the moratorium.
China’s Foreign Ministry has also denied conducting nuclear tests and has urged the US to uphold its obligations under the framework of the global test ban.
While Trump claimed the goal of renewed testing was to push for global denuclearization, he also boasted that the US possesses enough nuclear weapons “to blow up the world 150 times.”
