MOSCOW (Realist English). Russian President Vladimir Putin chaired an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Friday to discuss Washington’s announcement that it intends to resume nuclear weapons testing, a move Moscow warned could shatter decades of strategic stability.
The Kremlin session was attended by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, and the heads of Russia’s intelligence agencies — Alexander Bortnikov (FSB) and Sergey Naryshkin (SVR).
U.S. nuclear policy at the center of the discussion
Although the scheduled topic was transportation security, the debate shifted sharply after Volodin raised concerns about U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration that the U.S. would restart nuclear testing.
“Two years ago, you said that if the United States returns to nuclear tests, Russia would have every right to do the same,” Volodin said. “Lawmakers are now asking what steps will be taken.”
Defense Minister Belousov accused Washington of systematically dismantling the arms control architecture, citing its withdrawal from key treaties and large-scale modernization of its nuclear arsenal. He proposed that Russia begin preparations for full-scale tests at the Novaya Zemlya testing range, calling a potential U.S. withdrawal from the moratorium “a logical step toward undermining global security.”
Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov supported the proposal, warning that inaction could cost Russia valuable time to prepare reciprocal measures.
Intelligence and diplomatic reports
Foreign intelligence chief Naryshkin told the meeting that Russian diplomats had requested clarification from the White House and State Department but received only “formal and noncommittal responses.”
Security Council Secretary Shoigu added that senior U.S. officials — including the Secretary of Defense and Vice President — had privately confirmed the administration’s intention to resume testing, describing it as a “demonstration of strength.”
Putin’s position
Putin reaffirmed that Russia remains committed to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) but warned that Moscow would be prepared to act if others broke the moratorium.
“If the United States or any other state conducts such tests, Russia must take adequate reciprocal steps,” the president said.
He instructed the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry, intelligence agencies, and relevant civilian bodies to collect additional data, conduct a strategic assessment within the Security Council framework, and present coordinated recommendations on possible preparations for nuclear testing.
“I expect your report,” Putin concluded, before the meeting returned to its original agenda on transportation security.
The Kremlin meeting underscored that Moscow is ready to respond to any shift in the global nuclear balance. Following Trump’s statement, strategic stability has once again become a central issue in world affairs — and Russia, officials signaled, is prepared to act not through rhetoric but through calibrated strategic measures.
