ISTANBUL

Russia will conduct nuclear tests if other countries do so, Security Council chief Sergey Shoygu said on Friday, a day after US President Donald Trump ordered the US military to restart the process for testing nuclear weapons after a halt of 33 years.

“Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, the supreme commander-in-chief, responded to this. If they begin testing, then naturally we will do the same,” Shoigu told reporters in Moscow.

“I don’t see anything new here; this is an adequate response. If they don’t hold it, we won’t hold it,” he added.

Trump on Thursday said he ordered the Defense Department to “immediately” begin nuclear weapons tests.

"Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately," he wrote on his Truth Social platform, referring to his rebranded name for the department.

Earlier, the Kremlin said Russia, which tested a new nuclear-powered cruise missile and a new nuclear-powered autonomous torpedo this month, had not tested an actual nuclear weapon itself.