Fresh US nuclear tests may unleash dangerous 'domino effect': Russia
Clashing accusations between Washington, Moscow, and Beijing threaten to unravel decades of restraint on nuclear explosions and put the global test-ban effort at risk.
Russia has warned that any move by the United States to resume nuclear testing could trigger a global chain reaction, deepening tensions among the world’s major powers and jeopardising arms-control efforts.
Speaking before the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Russian ambassador Gennady Gatilov cautioned on Tuesday that Washington abandoning its testing moratorium would set off a dangerous “domino effect,” placing responsibility for the fallout squarely on the White House.
The warning follows statements by US officials suggesting President Donald Trump remains open to restarting nuclear tests — something the country has not done since 1992 — in response to alleged covert activity by China and Russia.
‘Equal basis’ in nuclear testing?
Speaking last week at the Hudson Institute, senior arms-control official Christopher Yeaw said the United States would return to testing on an “equal basis,” arguing that Washington must respond to what it views as a new testing standard set by its rivals.
US officials have accused China of conducting a small underground nuclear explosion in 2020 and preparing additional tests, while also alleging that Russia has carried out low-yield blasts — claims both countries deny.
Moscow said the escalating rhetoric risks further weakening the already fragile Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which would outlaw all nuclear test explosions but has never formally entered into force.
Gatilov warned that Washington’s stance casts new doubt on the treaty’s future, noting that among nuclear-armed states only France and the United Kingdom have ratified it so far.
The exchange underscores how nuclear competition among major powers is once again moving from the shadows of deterrence toward the visible brink of renewed testing — a shift analysts fear could mark the end of one of the Cold War’s most enduring restraints.