Explainer: US nuclear re‑test could ignite global arms race; the world watches

A decision by the US to restart testing of nuclear weapons after a 33‑year hiatus signals multiple implications across the world. It indicates a shift away from the era of ‘reducing nuclear weapons’ and could trigger a fresh arms race.

US President Donald Trump has directed the US Department of War to restart testing and justified the move, citing the need to “start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal footing” with rival nations Russia and China, who have been enhancing their nuclear capabilities, although neither has tested nuclear explosives since the early 1990s.

Trump’s move appears to have been triggered by an announcement made by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the successful test of a unique underwater long‑range drone named ‘Poseidon’. The drone, which can carry a nuclear