Will Moscow resume nuclear tests?
According to TASS, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Russia could resume nuclear tests as the United States moves towards a policy of escalation.
Asked whether Moscow could resume nuclear tests in response to the U.S.’s escalation, Ryabkov said: “This issue exists, and I’m not going to speculate on what might happen in the future, but the situation is quite complex. This issue (resumption of nuclear testing) and all its aspects and dimensions are constantly and comprehensively reviewed.”
Vladimir Yermakov, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department of Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, told TASS in February that there were some indirect signs that Washington might resume full-scale nuclear tests. At that time, Russian leaders warned that if the United States took this step, Moscow would be forced to retaliate.