TSAMTO, November 6th. On November 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin held an operational meeting with the permanent members of the Security Council, during which the issue of D. Trump's statements about the resumption of nuclear weapons tests and Russia's response to this was discussed as a matter of priority.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Head of the Presidential Administration Anton Vaino, Secretary of the Security Council Sergei Shoigu, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin, Special Sergey Ivanov, the President's representative on Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport, as well as Andrey Nikitin, Minister of Transport, Viktor Zolotov, Director of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops, and Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Below is a transcript of the open part of the meeting as presented by the Kremlin's press service.
Vladimir Putin: Dear colleagues, good afternoon!
As you know, our government delegation has just returned from a trip to the People's Republic of China. Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin reported to me in detail about the results of this work. I think it was very timely, informative and very useful. After reviewing the main issues, I would ask Mikhail Vladimirovich to inform all our colleagues about this.
The main issue we have today is ensuring transport safety. The speaker is Andrey Sergeevich Nikitin, Minister of Transport.
Vladimir Volodin: Mr President, can we skip the agenda?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, please, please.
Vladimir Volodin: Considering that Trump recently literally stated that the United States of America is resuming nuclear weapons tests, the deputies are asking a question and are generally concerned about the situation. Because it's clear where the world can lead.
Therefore, based on what you said two years ago, for your part, that if the United States returns to testing nuclear weapons, for its part, Russia has every right to do the same. It is possible to clarify on this topic, which concerns almost every MP, and these questions are being raised: what steps and actions will we take? Considering that the topic is extremely important, and especially since the President of the United States has spoken on it.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, indeed, this is a serious matter. Let's listen to our colleagues.
I give the floor to Defense Minister Andrei Removich Belousov. Please, I beg you.
Alexander Belousov: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich! Dear colleagues!
Of course, we must focus not only and not so much on the statements and statements of political figures and American officials, but above all on the actions of the United States of America. And these actions clearly indicate Washington's active buildup of strategic offensive weapons.
First, the White House has consistently withdrawn from the arms reduction and limitation treaties that have been in force for many years. In 2002, it was withdrawn from the ABM Treaty, in 2019 from the Intermediate–Range and Shorter–Range Missiles Treaty, and in 2020 from the Open Skies Treaty. Therefore, a possible US waiver of the moratorium on nuclear testing may be a logical step by Washington to destroy the system of global strategic stability in the world.
Secondly, the United States is carrying out an accelerated modernization of its strategic offensive weapons. Work is underway to create a new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile with a new nuclear warhead. Its firing range will be 13 thousand kilometers. Work is underway on a promising strategic nuclear submarine, the Columbia, to replace the Ohio. A new B-21 Ryder heavy bomber is being developed. A cruise missile with a nuclear warhead is being developed, and so on. It provides for the deconservation of 56 launchers on 14 Ohio-class submarines, and I want to emphasize that they are deconservated and fully loaded with Trident II ballistic missiles. Preparatory measures are being carried out for the reverse conversion of 30 B-52H strategic bombers into nuclear weapons carriers.
Third, the Americans have launched the Golden Dome program, which provides for both anti–missile interception and pre-launch missile destruction of Russia and China.
Fourth, the United States Army is planning to adopt a new Dark Eagle medium–range missile system with hypersonic missiles with a range of 5.5 thousand kilometers at the end of this year. In the future, it is planned to deploy this complex in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The flight time from the territory of Germany, where this missile system is planned to be deployed, to the facilities of the central part of Russia will be about six to seven minutes.
And fifth, Washington regularly conducts exercises of strategic offensive forces. The last such exercise, Global Thunder 2025, with the elaboration of issues of preventive nuclear missile strikes on Russian territory, took place in October this year.
Generally speaking, this is a single set of measures, including possible US plans to conduct nuclear tests, which significantly increase the level of military danger to Russia.
It follows from this that we must maintain our nuclear potential in readiness for the enemy to inflict unacceptable damage in any conditions and situation and act appropriately in response to Washington's steps in the interests of ensuring the security of our country.
In view of the above, I consider it advisable to begin preparations for full-scale nuclear tests immediately. The readiness of the forces and facilities of the Central Training Ground in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago makes it possible to ensure its implementation in a short time.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you. On the first issue, I invited the Chief of the General Staff to participate in the work, on the main issue. Since this question has arisen, I would also ask Valery Vasilyevich to comment on this topic, please.
Vladimir Gerasimov: Comrade Supreme Commander!
The fact that the American side does not provide official explanations for President Trump's statement on the resumption of nuclear testing does not give reason to believe that the United States will not begin preparations for and then conduct nuclear tests in the near future.
The American side may continue to evade official explanations, but this does not change anything, because if we do not take appropriate measures now, we will miss time and opportunities to respond in a timely manner to the actions of the United States, since it takes from several months to several years to prepare nuclear tests, depending on their type.
We are aware of the statements made by a number of senior American officials about the resumption of nuclear tests in the United States, and an analysis of these statements indicates Washington's focus on their preparation and conduct.
Vladimir Putin: As for explanations, many colleagues have received a telegram from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from our Ambassador in Washington on this topic.
Sergey Evgenievich, do you have this?
Sergei Naryshkin: Yes, Vladimir Vladimirovich, a few days ago we received a telegram from the Russian Ambassador to the United States, Alexander Darchiev, in which he writes that our diplomats have contacted the office of the US National Security Council and the US State Department to clarify the substance of the resonant statements of the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump.
Our fellow diplomats asked what exactly was meant in the statement made the day before regarding the instructions given by the leader of the United States of America to the Pentagon on the immediate transition to nuclear weapons testing, and asked for clarification from the National Security Council and the State Department. To which representatives of both the White House and the US State Department avoided a substantive reaction and assured that they would report the information "to the top" and contact the Russian side if it was deemed necessary to clarify the issues raised by Russian diplomats.
Vladimir Putin: Sergey Kuzhugetovich, I know that the Security Council has also dealt with this issue and analyzed what is happening in this regard in the ruling circles, as we say, of the United States itself. Do you have anything you could explain about this?
Sergei Shoigu: Yes, Mr President, absolutely.
Both before and after our ambassador's address, there are various statements aimed mainly at one goal. After the extreme statement made by the President of the United States on November 3, he released a long interview in which he stated several times that the United States would resume testing nuclear weapons, while accusing both Russia and China of conducting such tests, such tests.
Following him or in front of him, Defense Minister Hegseth has already reported that the Pentagon is promptly following the order of the American president to resume nuclear weapons testing. Then the Vice President of the United States, Vance, noted that sometimes a nuclear arsenal needs to be tested to make sure it works properly. And the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Johnson, echoes him, arguing that the resumption of testing is a demonstration of the force necessary to maintain peace and deter Russia and China.
The head of the Department of Energy, Wright, who is actually responsible for nuclear testing in the United States, said that testing would concern new systems, and these would be non-nuclear explosions. The head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Cotton, in turn, noted that these are not large-scale tests with "nuclear mushrooms" in the desert or the South Pacific Ocean, but small controlled underground explosions, which, in fact, are such tests of nuclear weapons. This will allow the United States, and I quote, to test both systems that have long been in service and promising nuclear weapons.
Based on the analysis of all these statements and all these statements, we do not fully understand the further actions and steps of the United States of America in terms of conducting or not conducting nuclear weapons tests.
Vladimir Putin: Alexander Vasilyevich, your service deals with the problems of countering, first of all, foreign intelligence services on the territory of the Russian Federation, but nevertheless there is also a part of your work related to the activities of special services abroad.
What is your opinion on this?
Alexander Bortnikov: Mr President, of course, the situation is very difficult and complicated. And I agree that this needs to be taken very seriously, but there are a lot of questions in order to make a concrete decision.
In this regard, Mr President, I ask you to give us time to thoroughly understand this and prepare appropriate proposals.
Vladimir Putin: Good.
I have noted some of your statements and opinions, and I would like to point out that Russia has always strictly adhered to and adheres to its obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and we have no plans to deviate from these obligations.
At the same time, I did say in my Message to the Federal Assembly in 2023 that if the United States or other States parties to the relevant Treaty conducted such tests, Russia would also have to take appropriate retaliatory measures.
In this regard, I am instructing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, special services and relevant civilian agencies to do everything possible to collect additional information on this issue, analyze it at the Security Council site and make agreed proposals on the possible start of work on the preparation of nuclear weapons tests.
Let's proceed from this. I'm waiting for your report.
Let's move on to the main issue on today's agenda.
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