Russia and US revive Cold War tensions with nuclear test threats
In a significant escalation, both Russia and the US have announced plans to resume nuclear testing. This move comes amidst heightened tensions between the two superpowers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered defense agencies to explore options for restarting nuclear tests. Defense Minister Andrei Belousov has been instructed to initiate preparations for 'full-scale nuclear tests' without delay. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has issued a similar directive to the Pentagon.
The decision from Moscow follows a proposal by Mikhail Sheremet of United Russia. He suggested that such a demonstration would serve to 'cool' Western rhetoric on nuclear weapons. This comes after Sergey Naryshkin, head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, delivered the official US response to Moscow’s inquiry about alleged secret nuclear tests on 4 June 2020, during a meeting in Vienna about arms control. In a separate development, a member of the Russian State Duma's security committee proposed staging exercises simulating nuclear strikes on mock-ups of the Pentagon, Big Ben, and the Eiffel Tower.
Both Russia and the US have taken steps towards resuming nuclear testing, raising concerns about the potential impact on global nuclear disarmament efforts and international security. These developments underscore the need for dialogue and diplomacy to prevent further escalation.
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