Trump on nuclear testing: We're going to do some testing

US President Donald Trump suggested on Friday that he may soon conduct an underground nuclear weapons test. He again stated that other countries are doing it, so the US intends to do the same.

Trump was asked about his earlier announcement to resume nuclear testing while speaking to reporters aboard his plane en route to Florida. Answering the question whether he literally meant the detonation of nuclear charges in an underground training ground, the US president replied:

– You'll find out soon, but we'll be doing some testing.

Trump again claimed that “other countries are doing it.”

– And if they do it, we will do it – he added. He refused to provide further explanations.

Trump's statement did not dispel most of the doubts that the American president raised with his initial announcement of resuming nuclear tests on Thursday.

On Thursday, Vice Admiral Richard Corell, Trump's nominee to command Strategic Command (STRATCOM), responsible for nuclear forces, stated during a Senate hearing that Trump's announcement does not necessarily mean a return to detonating nuclear weapons. According to his knowledge, the last such test took place in 2017 and was performed by North Korea, while China conducted its last test in 1996.

Correll agreed with one of the senators that Trump's words could be interpreted as an announcement of tests of missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, which Russia has recently carried out. In recent years, US authorities have raised suspicions that low-power nuclear explosions may have been carried out by China and Russia at their test sites, but these have never been confirmed. The military also assured that he was convinced that the American arsenal was operational and ready if necessary.

From Washington Oskar Górzyński (PAP)

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