WASHINGTON, February 18. /TASS/. The United States’ accusations against China regarding the conduct of nuclear tests are, at best, shaky, Professor Peter Kuznick, Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at the American University in Washington, has told TASS.
"The evidence that such a test occurred is shaky at best. Remember that the [first] Trump administration had made similar claims about Russia in May 2019 only to have most experts support Russia's denial," he emphasized. The expert was commenting on the US State Department’s allegations that China secretly conducted a low-yield nuclear test in the summer of 2020.
According to the specialist, the United States has "consistently used: the issue of China joining strategic arms limitation agreements "as a foil for its desire to get out of the New START Treaty," i.e. the Treaty between Russia and the United States on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. "[US President Donald] Trump, by insisting that China be included, has doomed the New START Treaty and the limits it placed on US and Russian deployed strategic nuclear weapons and launch systems," Kuznick noted. In his view, the US leadership "knows that abandoning the treaty could trigger a new nuclear arms race and seems to welcome one." According to the expert, this approach could be explained by the White House’s conviction that the US can prevail in such a race, win a potential nuclear conflict, and by the opinion that a preemptive nuclear strike would deprive US adversaries of the ability to retaliate. Some advisors, Kuznick explained, assure the US leader that "the US can win a nuclear war" with Russia, China, and North Korea. "This is madness <...>," the expert warned.
In this regard, the institute director drew attention to the forecasts published on February 16 by The New York Times, which concluded that the US could more than double the number of deployed nuclear warheads after the expiration of the New START Treaty. He also pointed with alarm to the desire of several European countries to acquire nuclear weapons or host US nuclear warheads "to protect against an imagined Russian threat." Kuznick specifically named Poland, Sweden and Germany among such countries. "Even Vladimir Zelensky has said that Ukraine should have nuclear weapons if it’s not allowed to join NATO. Other countries, including South Korea and Japan, are also contemplating joining the nuclear club. Given the heightened level of tension around the globe right now, the chances of our species surviving this latest plunge into global insanity are tragically diminishing by the day," the expert added.
On February 17, US Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control Christopher Yeaw alleged that Russia and China conducted low-yield nuclear tests in recent years, including one in China on June 22, 2020, near Lake Lobnor. CTBTO Executive Secretary Robert Floyd stated the organization cannot confirm this.
In November 2025, the White House announced the Pentagon was instructed to resume nuclear testing, claiming other countries were engaged in such activities. Russian President Vladimir Putin noted Moscow strictly adheres to its CTBT obligations and will continue until another country tests.
The US previously accused Russia of testing in 2019 without evidence. The CTBTO Preparatory Commission confirmed Russia’s moratorium compliance, and Moscow rejected the accusations as unfounded.