MOSCOW, November 6. /TASS/. Russia responds to Trump's statements about resuming nuclear tests by signaling it may do the same; Canada moves forward with legislation to seize Russia’s sovereign assets; and Russia and the US see surge in trade under Trump. These stories topped Thursday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
At a meeting of the Security Council on Wednesday, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin drew President Vladimir Putin's attention to the statement made by US President Donald Trump on October 30, in which Trump instructed the Pentagon to "immediately" prepare for conducting nuclear tests so as not to fall behind China and Russia. A discussion ensued, ending with Putin ordering that the issue of a potential US resumption of nuclear weapons testing be examined and analyzed. Experts interviewed by Vedomosti argue that if the US resumes nuclear testing, it will pave the way for Russia, China, and others to do the same, seriously weakening global non-proliferation efforts. Russia, for its part, has indicated that it won't just stand pat amid the US moves.
Hearing the statements coming out of Washington, the Russian authorities feel they need to show that they are ready to act symmetrically, research fellow at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations Alexander Ermakov told the newspaper. The length of time it would take Russia to prepare for nuclear tests depends on the condition of the test site, which is not publicly disclosed. However, most likely, the timeframe would be several months.
