'Is he unnerved... China could follow suit': Ex-foreign secretary after Trump orders immediate nuclear tests

Former Foreign Secretary of India Kanwal Sibal said in a social media post that Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly stated that if the US resumes nuclear testing against Russia, adding that China could well follow suit.

He further asked whether US President Donald Trump was unnerved after Russia unveiled the Oreshnik and Burevestnik missiles. 

Sibal wrote in his post: "It is not clear whether he means testing new nuclear weapon delivery systems or nuclear weapon tests as such. The latter would open up a Pandora's box. The CTBT allows non-explosive tests. He doesn't have to announce this. If he means underground nuclear tests, then how would he justify strikes against Iran? Putin has publicly stated more than once that if the US resumes testing, so will Russia. China could well follow suit. Is Trump unnerved because Russia unveiled Oreshnik and now Burevestnik?"

His take came after Trump announced that the US would "immediately" resume nuclear weapons testing against Russia. The US President said in a Truth Social post: "The United States has more nuclear weapons than any other country. Russia is second and China a distant third, but will be even within five years." 

He further said that he has instructed the Department of War to start testing American nuclear weapons immediately on an equal basis because of the other countries' testing programs.

Furthermore, he claimed credit for a "complete update and renovation" of the US' nuclear arsenal during his first term from 2016-20. He added, "Because of the tremendous destructive power, I hated to do it, but had no choice."

With this, he put an end to a voluntary moratorium that had been in place since 1992 after the last US nuclear test took place at the Nevada Test Site. Since then, the US has relied on sophisticated computer modelling and subcritical testing to ensure the reliability of its weapons stockpile. 

The drastic shift in the US's approach comes as Beijing has more than doubled its nuclear stockpile in the last five years, increasing from around 300 warheads in 2020 to roughly 600 today, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The think tank also estimates that China could surpass 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030.

His take also comes after Russia announced the successful tests of its nuclear-powered cruise missile Burevestnik and Poseidon nuclear torpedo, both of which are designed to evade American missile defences.