'Russia, China, Pakistan testing nuclear weapons': Trump defends US' move to resume trials

US President Donald Trump has alleged that Pakistan, China, Russia, and North Korea are carrying out covert nuclear weapons tests. In a recent interview, Trump justified his directive for the United States to resume nuclear weapons testing after a 33-year moratorium, citing that other countries are not transparent about their activities.

The claims come at a time of heightened vigilance for India, which faces Pakistan and China as nuclear-armed rivals on its borders. Trump claimed that countries possessing nuclear warheads have been conducting tests—they just don't talk about it.

He said that monitoring of nuclear tests can be circumvented, stating in an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, "They (the countries with nuclear weapons) don't go and tell you about it... They test way underground where people don't know exactly what's happening with the test. You feel a little bit of a vibration."

His comments underline concerns about covert testing and its detection. He highlighted that global monitoring stations can detect earthquake-like vibrations from underground nuclear explosions, yet insisted some nations manage to conduct tests without detection from the international community.

According to Trump, China and Pakistan have already engaged in secret detonations. These allegations, if substantiated, would point to a significant shift in the nuclear activities of the region.

Trump extended his accusations to Russia and North Korea, saying, "Russia's testing and China's testing, but they don't talk about it. You know, we're an open society. We're different. We talk about it... They don't have reporters that are going to be writing about it." His comparison highlighted perceived transparency differences between the US and other nuclear-armed states.

He specifically included North Korea and Pakistan in his claims, grouping them alongside China and Russia as active nuclear testers.

Trump used these assertions to justify the US decision to restart its own nuclear testing programme, maintaining that the US approach to public disclosure contrasts with the secrecy he alleged in other countries.