Russia's Lavrov Confirms Implementation of Putin's Nuclear Test Evaluation Order Amid US Tensions

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that President Vladimir Putin's directives regarding the evaluation of nuclear test resumption "is being worked on."

On Saturday, Lavrov stated that the instructions issued by President Putin concerning the potential resumption of nuclear testing activities are currently under implementation. During a Security Council meeting on November 5, which Lavrov did not attend, Putin instructed various government bodies including the Foreign Ministry, Defence Ministry, intelligence agencies, and civilian departments to prepare proposals for possible nuclear weapons testing by Russia, contingent upon the United States withdrawing from the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) moratorium.

"The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has accepted for implementation the instruction given by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Security Council meeting on November 5; it has been accepted for implementation and is being worked on," Lavrov was quoted as saying by official Russian news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti.

Lavrov added that "The public will be informed of the results," according to the Russian news sources.

The Foreign Minister also mentioned that Moscow has not yet received any diplomatic clarification regarding US President Donald Trump's comments about resuming nuclear tests.

"So far, we have not received any explanation of what President Donald Trump meant when he announced the resumption of nuclear tests," Lavrov told reporters, according to TASS.

During the televised Security Council meeting, Putin was observed emphasizing that Russia would only restart nuclear testing if the United States took such action first.

This position comes in response to US President Trump's recent announcement that his administration intends to resume testing American nuclear capabilities after a hiatus of more than three decades.

Prior to meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 30, Trump declared that the United States would begin testing nuclear weapons on an "equal basis" with competing powers.