President Donald J. Trump has instructed U.S. military leaders to resume nuclear weapons testing for the first time since 1992, citing the need to match the nuclear advancements of Russia and China.

In a social media post late Wednesday, Trump wrote that “because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” adding that “the process will begin immediately.”

The announcement came just hours before Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea — the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders since 2019. The timing has drawn international attention, coming amid heightened global tensions and concerns about a renewed nuclear arms race.

Trump stated that the United States “has more nuclear weapons than any other country,” followed by Russia and China, which he described as “a distant third,” while warning that China’s nuclear capabilities “will be even within five years.”

The United States last conducted an underground nuclear weapons test on September 23, 1992, in Nevada. The test, codenamed Divider, was the 1,054th carried out by the U.S. before then-President George H. W. Bush declared a moratorium as the Cold War ended.

The Nevada Test Site, located about 105 kilometers northwest of Las Vegas, remains under federal control and, according to the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, “could be authorized again for nuclear weapons testing if deemed necessary.”

In recent weeks, Trump has criticized Russia for reportedly testing a nuclear-powered missile said to have an unlimited range. He has also expressed concern over the rapid expansion of China’s nuclear program, which U.S. intelligence agencies believe could double its stockpile within the next decade.

While Trump acknowledged the “tremendous destructive power” of nuclear weapons, he said he had “no choice” but to modernize and expand the U.S. arsenal, describing the resumption of testing as essential for maintaining national security and deterrence.

The U.S. decision marks a reversal of more than three decades of nuclear restraint and has drawn criticism from arms control advocates, who warn that it could spark a new era of global nuclear competition. The White House and Pentagon have not yet provided details about the timeline, scale, or location of the upcoming tests. (ILKHA)