President Donald Trump Thursday sowed confusion among experts with his call for the start of nuclear weapons testing, with some pundits interpreting the announcement as US preparations for a shock resumption of explosive testing after more than 30 years.

The US president baffled foreign government and nuclear weapons experts alike when he said he had ordered the Pentagon to start nuclear weapons testing "on an equal basis" to China and Russia.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, the US president also said that it had been "many years" since the United States had conducted nuclear tests and it was "appropriate" to start again because others are testing.

The last time Russia officially tested a nuclear weapon was in 1990, and the United States last tested a nuclear bomb in 1992.

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