Russia Denies Secret Nuclear Tests Following U.S. Accusations Against China

Moscow’s spokesperson rejected American claims that Russia or China conducted clandestine nuclear weapons testing. The denial comes as the U.S. pushes for expanded arms control agreements involving all three nations.

MOSCOW – Russian officials firmly rejected allegations Wednesday that Moscow or Beijing have conducted clandestine nuclear weapons testing, responding to recent American accusations against China.

Washington earlier this month alleged that China secretly performed nuclear testing in 2020, while simultaneously pushing for expanded arms control agreements that would include China alongside existing U.S.-Russia frameworks.

“We’ve heard many references to certain tests. Both the Russian Federation and China have been mentioned in this regard. Neither the Russian Federation nor China has conducted any nuclear tests,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Peskov further stated: “We also know that these allegations were categorically denied by a representative of the People’s Republic of China, so that’s the situation.”

President Donald Trump has been advocating for China’s participation in negotiations to create a successor agreement to New START, the final nuclear arms limitation treaty between America and Russia that lapsed on February 5.

The treaty’s recent expiration has sparked debate among defense analysts, with some warning of a potential acceleration in global nuclear weapons development, while others believe such concerns are overstated.