BRUSSELS

The European Union on Thursday said Russia and the US "should not be put in the same basket" regarding recent disputes over nuclear missile tests, emphasizing Moscow's continued attacks against Ukraine.

Speaking at a European Commission midday briefing in Brussels, spokesperson Anitta Hipper commented on reports that Russia recently tested its nuclear-powered, unlimited-range cruise missile Burevestnik.

"We have also seen the announcement, which is obviously not going in the right direction. This is a country that is conducting an illegal, unjustified, and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine," Hipper said.

She warned that if the missile is truly nuclear-powered, it "could also release radioactive materials," adding that the test "shows once more that instead of choosing peace, Russia is continuing to escalate through its actions and rhetoric."

Asked about Trump's recent remarks promising to restart nuclear weapons testing for the first time since the 1990s, Hipper declined to comment in detail, noting: "We refer you to them on the other side. We have not seen the US conducting any explosive test of its nuclear weapons in decades."

Earlier on Thursday, Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social that he had ordered the Department of Defense to commence immediate nuclear weapons testing.

She stressed, however, that all parties to international treaties should respect their commitments.

"We're looking towards everybody that is participatory and signatory to the treaties to abide by these commitments. But I think we should not put the two in the same basket," she said.

Hipper added that while the EU calls on all signatories to honor their international obligations, including the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), "here we're speaking about Russia, so our expectations are low."