Washington D.C. & Moscow — December 5, 2025
In a chilling return to Cold War rhetoric, the United States and Russia exchanged direct threats on December 5, 2025, to resume full-scale nuclear weapons testing — a move that could destroy the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and ignite a dangerous new global arms race.
Trump’s Direct Order & Russia’s Immediate Response
On October 29, 2025, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: “Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of Defense to begin testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will start immediately.”
Less than a week later, President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian agencies to prepare for possible explosive nuclear tests. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the West of hypocrisy while confirming Moscow’s readiness to match any American move.
UN Condemns “Reckless” Escalation
UN Secretary-General António Guterres labeled the statements “deeply reckless,” warning that resuming nuclear explosions would shatter three decades of global restraint and trigger proliferation across Asia and the Middle East.
Record Arms Sales Fuel the Fire
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) revealed this week that the world’s top 100 arms producers earned a record $679 billion in 2024 — up 5.9% — with U.S. giants Lockheed Martin and RTX alone accounting for $334 billion. Russian firms saw a 23% surge despite sanctions.
Economic Fallout Already Visible
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) forecasts global economic growth will slow to just 2.6% in 2025, citing trade wars, sanctions, and rising geopolitical risks as primary drags on recovery.
India Urges Restraint During Putin-Modi Summit
During Russian President Putin’s ongoing visit to New Delhi, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar urged both nuclear superpowers to show maximum restraint, stressing the threat to South Asian stability and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
What Happens If Testing Resumes?
- First U.S. nuclear detonation since 1992
- First Russian explosion since 1990
- Collapse of CTBT global norm
- Possible chain reaction: China, North Korea, and others follow
- Environmental fallout and health risks echoing Chernobyl and Fukushima
As #NuclearThreat and #CTBT trend worldwide on X with over 150,000 posts in the last 24 hours, the world holds its breath. With the New START treaty expiring in February 2026, diplomats warn that 2025 could mark the beginning of the end of post-Cold War nuclear stability.
Stay updated — more developments expected in the coming hours.
