US has not elaborated on nuclear test plans – Lavrov
Moscow has not received any clarifications from Washington regarding the nuclear weapons tests ordered by US President Donald Trump, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. The Kremlin is still working on a proportionate response if the US resumes full-fledged nuclear trials, he told journalists on Saturday.
Last week, Trump ordered the Department of War to begin preparations for nuclear testing, claiming the US is “the only country that doesn’t test.” Trump accused Russia and China of conducting “secret” nuclear explosions – which Moscow and Beijing have denied.
The Kremlin responded by saying it would “act accordingly” if any nation abandons the moratorium on nuclear testing, adding that it expects clarifications from Washington on the matter.
Asked for updates, Lavrov said the US has not yet clarified its intentions through diplomatic channels.
“It is unclear if it is about nuclear delivery vehicle tests or… non-critical explosions,” he stated, adding that public comments provided by US officials so far suggest they have not come to a “uniform understanding” of their own policy.
Last week, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Fox News that the trials would not involve full-fledged nuclear explosions but could include non-critical tests.
Trump has since doubled down on his plans to restart nuclear testing, while stating that he could be working on a plan to denuclearize together with Russia and China.
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said this week that Moscow will have to prepare for full-scale nuclear tests in response to the US announcement. President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed that Russia will adhere to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, provided that other signatories do the same.
Putin also ordered all relevant government agencies, including the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry, to gather and analyze all necessary information on US plans in order to prepare an adequate response.
