US Ends 33-Year Nuclear Test Moratorium Sparking Global Nuclear Arms Race Fears

President Donald Trump shocked the world by ordering the U.S. military to immediately resume nuclear weapon testing, ending a 33-year moratorium, which elicited cautious but stern warnings from Moscow about responding accordingly. Trump also canceled a planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest and imposed fresh sanctions targeting Russia's largest energy companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, aiming to inflict economic pain on Russia and pressure Putin to negotiate peace regarding the Ukraine conflict. Russian commentators and analysts see Putin's regime as increasingly brittle and vulnerable, noting incidents such as the jailing of an 18-year-old anti-Putin singer that reveal a regime fearful of dissent, while growing working-class unrest suggests weakening control. Ukrainian and Western officials emphasize that sustained sanctions and increased military aid to Ukraine could push Putin into negotiations, though immediate results are not expected and Putin appears focused on territorial gains despite worsening conditions. Expectations for a Putin-Trump summit dissolved after Putin rejected ceasefire talks, with Russian media attributing the U.S. policy shift to European influence and Putin's own intransigence; the cancellation marked a significant setback in diplomatic efforts. The escalating tensions, including Russia's announcement of deploying a nuclear-propelled cruise missile, have heightened fears of a new nuclear arms race and underline the fragility of current geopolitical stability.