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OPINION DECEMBER 05, 2025 | The Indian Eye 10

Fact or Fiction? Analyzing Donald

Trump’s Nuclear Rhetoric in the

Current Geopolitical Situation

In view of threats from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, the Project 2025 had recommended

that the incoming US administration reject the ratification of the CTBT and ‘indicate a willingness
to conduct nuclear tests in response to adversary nuclear developments if necessary’

NIRANJAN CHANDRASHEKHAR OAK

S President Donald Trump’s
instructions to the Penta-
Ugon “to start testing nuclear
weapons on an equal basis” shook
the international community. He jus-
tified his stance by claiming that other
countries, especially Russia and Chi-
na, among others, were testing their
respective nuclear weapons, and he
did not want the US to be left behind.
He claimed that Russia was the US’s
peer in the nuclear domain and Chi-
na was fast catching up with the two.
And both—Russia and China—“test
way under- underground where peo-
ple don’t know exactly what’s hap-
pening with the test.. You feel a little US President Trump’s allegations of Russian and Chinese nuclear tests are not backed by any concrete evidence (IDSA)
bit of a vibration”.
2023 by a conservative US think tank self-sustaining nuclear experiments’ Treaty (TTBT), stating that ‘Russia
Trump’s statements came as prescribed that the new government in 2019. has conducted supercritical nuclear
Similarly, in the case of China,
weapons tests without TTBT notifi-
proceed with nuclear tests.
a surprise and created con- the same report contended that ‘Chi- cation…(and) concerns remain due
fusion about whether the US ROOTS OF TRUMP’S NUCLEAR na could have conducted activities at to past activities and the uncertainty
its test site that are inconsistent with
and lack of transparency relating to
was resuming testing, which RHETORIC its moratorium commitment, as in- Russia’s activities at Novaya Zem-
it last conducted in 1992. US rump’s rhetoric of nuclear terpreted in accordance with the US lya’. Thus, the Compliance reports
testing is seemingly stemming “zero-yield” standard’. The report must have been a significant factor in
Energy Secretary Chris Wright Tfrom two sources—one, the also discussed China’s opacity re- shaping Trump’s rhetoric.
The second likely source of
attempted to calm nerves by US State Department’s Adherence to garding the nature of its testing activ- Trump’s nuclear rhetoric is the ‘Man-
and Compliance with Arms Control, ities, raising concerns about its 1996
stating that the US will not con- Non-proliferation, and Disarmament moratorium on testing. In view of the date for Leadership – The Conserva-
duct nuclear explosive testing Agreements and Commitments’ Re- US suspicions of Chinese and Rus- tive Promise (Project 2025)’ Report,
port (Compliance Report) and two, sian nuclear testing, several officials published in April 2023 by the think
but rather conduct “systems Project 2025. During the first itera- from Trump’s first administration tank Heritage Foundation. The Proj-
tests”, which are considered tion of the Trump administration, the wanted to conduct nuclear explosive ect 2025 is a policy document pub-
2020 Compliance Report by the US tests back in 2020.
lished by conservative researchers
non-critical explosions. State Department claimed that ‘Rus- The 2024 Compliance Report, that claims to provide policy pre-
sia has conducted nuclear weapons published during the Biden era, con- scriptions to the incoming President.
Although Trump’s nuclear rhet- experiments that have created nucle- tinued to raise questions regarding The Trump administration’s policies
oric seemed to have come from no- ar yield and are not consistent with nuclear testing by Russia and China. across sectors, from immigration to
where, it had a strong precedent the U.S. “zero-yield” standard’. Fur- It stated that ‘the United States re- security, have been shaped by the
from his first term. Even then, some ther, it claimed that Russian nuclear mains concerned about the PRC’s recommendations outlined in this
officials from his administration were testing was aimed at improving its and Russia’s adherence to their document.
considering nuclear tests with Russia nuclear weapons designs and capabil- respective moratoria’. Further, it In view of threats from China,
and China in mind. Additionally, a ities. The US also suspected that Rus- faulted Russia for the non-compli- Russia, North Korea and Iran, the
policy document published in April sia conducted several ‘supercritical or ance with the Threshold Test Ban Continued on next page... >>

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