Washington: United States President Donald Trump has claimed that Pakistan is among the countries actively testing nuclear weapons, as he defended plans for the US to resume its own nuclear testing after more than three decades.
Speaking to CBS News, Trump said it was “appropriate” for the US to test its nuclear weapons since “Russia, China, North Korea, and Pakistan” are conducting similar tests.
“Russia’s testing and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it. We’re an open society. They test and we don’t test. We have to test,” Trump said, adding that these nations conduct underground tests that are difficult to detect.
The US president said the move is necessary to ensure America’s nuclear arsenal remains advanced. “You have to see how they work. Other countries are testing constantly. We can’t be the only one that doesn’t,” he stated.
Trump also claimed that the US possesses “more nuclear weapons than any other country,” saying he had discussed denuclearisation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. “We have enough nuclear weapons to blow up the world 150 times,” he said.
Following Trump’s remarks, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarified that the proposed testing would not involve nuclear detonations. “These are not nuclear explosions. These are system tests — non-critical explosions — to verify weapon performance,” Wright said, adding that the tests aim to ensure next-generation weapons are reliable and more efficient.