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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on Tuesday that Moscow is “ready” to discuss accusations made by US President Donald Trump regarding secret, underground Russian nuclear tests.
Trump recently claimed in a US television interview that both Russia and China were conducting clandestine nuclear detonations, accelerating tensions between the world’s major nuclear powers, which already face strained relations following a failed effort to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
Lavrov publicly denied these claims, suggesting the US could verify whether Russia tested a nuclear warhead using the existing global seismic monitoring system.
He clarified that other types of testing, such as subcritical tests (those without a chain nuclear reaction) and carrier delivery system tests, are not prohibited.
Despite the heightened rhetoric, Lavrov maintained that the nuclear test issue was separate from stalled diplomatic efforts.
He added that Moscow remains open to resuming preparations for a proposed summit between President Vladimir Putin and President Trump. This meeting was recently shelved amidst Trump’s growing frustration over Russia’s nearly four-year offensive in Ukraine.
