Pakistan testing nuclear weapons? Trump alleges, defends US move to resume testing: What it means

US President Donald Trump has alleged that Pakistan is actively testing nuclear weapons, grouping it with Russia, China, and North Korea. He cited this as justification for restarting American nuclear tests after more than three decades, saying the US “cannot be the only country that doesn’t test”.

In an interview with foreign media outlet CBS News’s 60 Minutes on Sunday, Trump said, “Russia’s testing and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it. We’re an open society. We talk about it because otherwise you people are going to report. They don’t have reporters that are going to be writing about it.” He added, “We’re going to test because they test and others test. And certainly North Korea’s been testing. Pakistan’s been testing.”

The US last conducted a full-scale nuclear test in 1992 but has since observed a voluntary moratorium under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which it has signed but not ratified.

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‘We don’t want to be the only country not testing’

Trump defended his decision, arguing that Washington’s restraint contrasts with the actions of other powers. He cited Russia’s recent trials of advanced nuclear-capable systems, including the Poseidon underwater drone, as a factor behind the renewed testing policy.

“You have to see how they work,” Trump said. “Russia announced that they were going to do a test. North Korea is testing constantly. Other countries are testing. We’re the only country that doesn’t test. And I don’t want to be the only country that doesn’t test.”

He claimed that the US holds “more nuclear weapons than any other country” and said discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on denuclearisation had seen limited progress. “We have enough nuclear weapons to blow up the world 150 times,” Trump said. “Russia has a lot, and China will have a lot. They have quite a bit already.”

Trump’s announcement last week that the US would resume nuclear weapons testing marks a significant escalation in the global arms race. Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One on Thursday, he said restarting tests was “appropriate” given that others were doing the same.

“They seem to all be nuclear testing,” he said. “We have more nuclear weapons than anybody. We don’t do testing… but with others doing testing, I think it’s appropriate that we do also.”
Trump said preparations were already under way, though he did not specify the timing or location. When asked if the move could heighten global tensions, he responded, “I think we have it pretty well locked up.”

The US announcement came as Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law formally ending the 2000 plutonium disposal agreement with the US, which was designed to limit the production of weapons-grade nuclear material. The accord required both nations to dispose of 34 tonnes of plutonium previously reserved for military purposes.

The move underscores the broader breakdown in post-Cold War nuclear arms control agreements that had sought to stabilise the global security landscape.

Pakistan’s government has not issued any response to Trump’s comments. The country has not conducted a confirmed nuclear test since May 1998, when it carried out underground detonations in response to India’s tests earlier that month.

Islamabad maintains that its nuclear programme is for deterrence and national security, adhering to a policy of “minimum credible deterrence”. Trump’s statement, therefore, if unsubstantiated, risks diplomatic friction at a time when Washington and Islamabad are already navigating a delicate phase in their relations.

If the US follows through with its plan, it will mark the country’s first nuclear test in over 30 years. Such a step could erode international non-proliferation efforts, embolden other nuclear states, and strain Washington’s relations with both allies and rivals.