US President Donald Trump has claimed that Pakistan, China, and Russia are among several nations actively conducting nuclear weapons tests. The statement was made during a “60 Minutes” interview on Sunday, where he defended his recent directive to restart US nuclear testing after a 33-year moratorium.
“We’re going to test because they test and others test. And certainly North Korea’s been testing. Pakistan’s been testing,” President Trump stated, listing Russia and China as other nations involved in such activities.
The president announced last Thursday that he had instructed the Department of War to “start testing Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis” with other global powers. This directive would effectively end a US policy that has been in place since 1992, under which the country has not conducted a live nuclear test explosion.
Read: US Energy Secretary Clarifies Trump’s Nuclear Test Order as “Non-Explosive”
President Trump framed the decision as a necessary response to testing programs by other countries, citing recent high-profile tests of advanced Russian nuclear systems.
Breaking: 'Pakistan's been testing nuclear weapons', says US President Donald Trump
Vdo ctsy: CBS pic.twitter.com/kmYpGrvo5Q
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) November 3, 2025In his public statements, the president also claimed the United States possesses more nuclear weapons than any other country and that a “complete update and renovation” of the arsenal occurred during his first term.
However, this claim contradicts long-standing estimates from arms control experts. Organisations like the Federation of American Scientists consistently report that Russia holds a larger total nuclear stockpile, though both nations collectively possess nearly 90% of the world’s nuclear arsenal.
President Trump acknowledged the “tremendous destructive power” of the weapons, stating, “I HATED to do it, but had no choice!” He also identified China as a “distant third” in nuclear capability but warned it would catch up within five years, using this projection to justify his push for renewed US testing.
