Public opinion is largely skeptical and frustrated regarding nuclear arms control discussions between Russia and the US. Many commenters express distrust in Russia's actual military capabilities and view the negotiations as posturing rather than genuine attempts at achieving global stability. There is a significant call for stronger US leadership to navigate the complications of nuclear proliferation effectively.

Russia

United States

https://preview.redd.it/39kw6dll36zf1.jpeg?width=1290&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp&amp;s=7ae822f375f2b5a29669804f504ebf355256c6eb

And the latest

Afrogthatribbits

Note that the US uses devices similar to "Kolbas" for subcritical testing, also this: https://resources.inmm.org/sites/default/files/2021-09/a325.pdf

and on hydronuclear tests there's this: https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6646692 and this: https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc694589/m2/1/high_res_d/615630.pdf

Its funny cause when trump said nuclear explosive testing.

Ppl immediately think about mushroom cloud shit like trinity.

Thats not how any of that work.  It could be tiny ass pop or small test like what china and russia are already doing

WeissTek

I don't really trust Cotton in the first place. He's the type of guy who would brag about being a Ranger after completing Ranger School, or call himself a lawyer after completing law school without actually practicing. 

This is partially because I'm a Singaporean and I found [the angle he used to attack the Singaporean CEO](https://x.com/NBCNews/status/1752761046593401197) of Tiktok mildly reprehensible and indicative of his willingness to ignore baseline reality in pursuit of political goals. 

&gt;Sen. Tom Cotton: "Have you ever been a member of the Chinese Communist Party?"
&gt; 
&gt; TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew: "Senator, I'm Singaporean. No."
&gt; 
&gt; Cotton: "Have you ever been associated or affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party?"
&gt; 
&gt; Chew: "No, senator. Again, I'm Singaporean."

Aside from the memes that this spawned, assuming that Singapore is a vassal state of China is *such* a cartoonishly idiotic stance, it really doesn't inspire any confidence whatsoever in his geopolitical takes. 

More generally, he's so hawkish when it comes to US-China relations that it kinda comes across as mildly Sinophobic. Like championing the COVID-19 lab leak theory, trying to bar all Chinese nationals from STEM postgrad programs, and so on.

dragmehomenow

Under the Threshold Test Ban Treaty, the US and Russians are limited on what they can do - even underground, limiting tests to 150kt and t[he 1 June 1990 Protocol to the TTBT](https://www.jus.uio.no/english/services/library/treaties/05/5-02/underground-nuclear.html) added extra verification (to achieve Senate ratification), including notification of any non-zero-yield testing if it “includes the release of nuclear energy resulting from a physical breach of an explosive canister.” I’m not sure if it requires 200 day notification, as NNSA claims, or a year in advance, as State claims (see below). 

Any lawyers are welcome to reach out if you know!

Note that [the State Department in 2019 claimed](https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Compliance-Report-2019-August-19-Unclassified-Final.pdf) that Russia was conducting non-zero-yield testing at Nova Zemlya in the (mostly) [annual Compliance Report](https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Compliance-Report-2019-August-19-Unclassified-Final.pdf). Then in [the 2020 Compliance Report](https://2017-2021.state.gov/2020-adherence-to-and-compliance-with-arms-control-nonproliferation-and-disarmament-agreements-and-commitments-compliance-report-2/), State said Russia had conducted non-zero-yield testing in 2019. Subsequent Compliance Reports do not make new claims, but gesture at the previous reports. 

Also note that the State Department does not claim a 200-day notification window for low yield tests, but rather states that any upcoming positive yield test must be informed in the annual data exchange on 1 June each year, and that Russia has continued to notify nothing. However, it is worth asking why [the 2025 Compliance Report](https://www.state.gov/adherence-to-and-compliance-with-arms-control-nonproliferation-and-disarmament-agreements-and-commitments/) makes no new claims of Russian testing, considering Trump’s remarks.

I'm tracking the information here:

[https://walberque.substack.com/p/fire-in-the-hole-us-threatens-new](https://walberque.substack.com/p/fire-in-the-hole-us-threatens-new)

walberque_

The US has interpreted the test ban treaty as less than 4 lbs NUCLEAR yield for decades.

It's possible the Russians and Chinese interpret it differently, and nuclear yield up to the primary HE explosive charge (roughly 50ish lbs of HE).

The latter gets a couple of extra generations of nuclear yield, but I'm not sure that gets a ton of extra insight to weapons designers, at least not in the US.

KiloE

Due-Professional-761

Hey, remember how the soviet union fell off its bike because they couldn't keep up economically with the west, because so much of their spending was on the military and nuclear deterrent, and they didn't make anything else of value?

This isn't Putin being "nice", russia can't have another arms race they would lose

wgszpieg

That's it? That was the "big announcement"?

rgumai

Look at us everyone! We have nukes, remember? We are very scary!

-Stoic-

Look everyone, it's 💩tin's Nuke'O'Clock™! 

(for the millionth time)

SoulEkko

What a strange announcement right now. Signs of the Russian economy failing sooner or later. Industry is stuck in the past.

Far_Note6719

Does it really matter? 

They already have over 5,500 nukes; it's enough to pretty much cause catastrophic, planet-wide consequences if they were used; so at that point, more nukes is just like throwing matches on a forest fire.

Maetivet

Hmm..

So he is saying in 2027 all bets are off.

The same year Xi has stipulated for the Chinese armed forces to be ready for a naval blockade and possible invasion of Taiwan.

China has a deal with Russia that if/when China will use military force to annex Taiwan, Russia will attack NATO territory to create a diversion forcing the EU and US to split their attention.

Meanwhile Trump’s administration has had plans leaked where Europe and Asia (specifically Taiwan, but also the Philippines, South Korea and Japan) have to fend for themselves against Chinese and Russian territorial expansionism 

Fun times ahead.. /s

TWVer

why did he basically publicly admit that theyre fucked?

everyone kind of knows that their economy is dragging an anchor, and their nuclear arms program is basically dead, including the normal maintenance program... but...

why did he SAY it

Thunderbird_Anthares

Because he's scared of an arms race now, mired down in Ukraine, refineries blowing up every day, no money for nukes

Common-Summer-69

&gt; Putin said that the pact’s termination would have negative consequences for global stability.

Russia’s ~~final~~ ~~final~~ ~~final~~ ~~final~~ “ok this time we really mean it” final warning.

figuring_ItOut12

Who cares, put up or shut up.
In 50+ years I was "nuked" by Russians at least 100 times. Probably more.

Turns out guys like Putin&amp;puppets are more afraid of nuclear holocaust than me. 

Which is actually logical :) Which guy with small d, rulling huge number of people, would like to spend the rest of his life in a bunker with cockroaches and a few synchopats?

Imagine spending the rest of your life deep under ground with Medvedev, Lavrov and Zakharova. On top of that, no window you can throw them from.

sant2060

Translation: insinuate not continuing to adhere to the treaty to instill fear 
That's all. He's getting russia so broke parts of it will freeze &amp; drive horses instead of cars this winter. It's questioned how their nukes have been upkept and if they work at all already. My only question to such insinuations is: *from what money*?

DryCloud9903

Is this the "important statement" they said earlier ?

voltb778

That means they cannot afford to make more

Aromatic-Deer3886

Gabriel_Weis

Maybe their cars can fill up with....checks notes...nuclear warhead instead of petrol at all those petrol station lines.

External_Reaction314

Honestly, do not pay attention on this old pedo.

LocalGear1460

[https://i.imgur.com/JahaDTE.png](https://i.imgur.com/JahaDTE.png) show him this

NightLanderYoutube

\*simpson meme\* -&gt; What an odd thing to say

WhereasSpecialist447

It’s lose-lose if he goes down that road. A critical mass of brains around him must know it will end up badly for Russia as well.

fane1967

Haunting-South-962

I guess someone finally got done with nuke inventory.....and the amount "might work if fired" was alot lower than the dwarf thought it would be.
So the winning strategy is to limit cheetos nuke production...just incase he dies from kankles.

octahexxer

Well he can say what he wants. No one can trust that he'll keep his word. And the same goes for Trump

CheerJohn

coldair16

Funny way to say they cant afford to build or maintain more 😂

Stereotypical_Whale

It means they can't even get to the limit.

medievalvelocipede

sendmebirds

lmao just nuke already it’s a win win, this planet doesn’t deserve us

octavionultodoritor

I don’t get it. What would increasing the nr of warheads do? They already have like thousands of them. USA also has thousands. France and UK also has enough to wipe at least part of Russia from the map. What’s the point here? There already are way too much nuclear warheads on both sides.

InsidiousBunny2447

This is Putin saying "shit we really can't build any. But we WANT to."

Mitologist

just give me enough time to 100% gta 6, bald man

Unique_Bodybuilder_6

Every time I read the comment section I hope the dead Internet theory is true. Otherwise we are fucked.

Prometheides

You should think we had enough nuked in the world to blow ourselves up already.. Oh wait

SgtSenex

Russia doesn't have enough money to maintain their current stockpile of nukes, let alone get more.

Coinsworthy

Nuclears weapons are expensive and Russia dont have economic capacity to invest in that

Other-Strawberry-449

There is no way that Russia can or post-USSR has ever been able to afford the nuclear weapons it already has on paper. Them threatening to get more is ridiculous when they cannot even afford to keep what they have.

TheLightDances

kombatunit

Maybe I am a nutter, but I genuinely don’t think Russia has functional nukes. I think the collapse of the USSR and the rise of the gangster oligarchs saw them more or less loot the budget for what would in the 90s and early 00s have been seen as a superfluous prestige boost. So long as folks *believed* they had the nukes, that was the important thing, rely on MAD and the lingering fear of the Soviets. The Cold War was over, so let’s have fun.

So yeah, I think over the years whatever budget has been allocated to keep those nukes launch ready has been siphoned off to mansions on the Riviera, taking mistresses on shopping sprees in Milan, Paris, New York and London, multi-course meals at five star restaurants, nights on the town in Vegas and Monte Carlo, yachts and mega yachts, burlesque and strip clubs and debauched nights in red light districts, private resorts on the Pacific, Black Sea and Caribbean. And lots and lots of bribes and drugs and booze.

And now what they have are basically rotting in warehouses in Siberia. Because the nukes were never going to be used anyway, not after the Cold War ended. Look at their army for support of this notion. All that money and their guns were rusty, their tanks ill maintained, their training more or less gang initiation, and their rations hold overs from decades ago. Maybe in time they could get them functional again, maybe.

They are a paper tiger bolstered solely by being willing to ram their youth into a meat grinder and to drive the West insane via the internet. That money was lost on a roulette wheel and between the legs of a high rate call girl.

PloddingAboot

Just be honest Putin. You ran out of cash to build much fresh nukes hm? That "3 day special operation" got something to do with that?

GhillieRowboat

This isn't even about using the weapons, it's about limiting their number. It's not really a huge piece of news as they already have thousands, and they already have a thousand times more than what's needed to cause a catastrophe.

YolognaiSwagetti

As if they haven't already had enough bombs to wipe out complex life from the entire planet...

Incorrigible_Gaymer

As if keeping not more than 1550 nukes would make any difference....

Still plenty to fuck up the whole world - this is just another deterrent to once again fool the orange fascist baby.

nfin1te

Necessary-Mix-56

Europe needs to invest much more into nuclear deterrent, because of ruzzia.   
And then we need to keep on investing until ruzzians get bankrupt trying to keep up with us.

PavelKringa55

Meaning they won't. They have literally been developing and producing ICBMs while being in agreement to dismantle and stop production. Same with chemical and bio.

LazyZeus

I wonder if the Boy Who Cried Nukes routine is on purpose.

Serious-Feedback-700

what he's saying is that they are unable to ramp up their nuclear arms production for at minimium this year

hdldm

I think it speaks to his reluctance to take any money from the conventional military as taxes aren’t enough to support in a struggling economy.

Memory_Less

Most people don't realize that Russia and the US have a nuclear treaty, they have limits on numbers and missiles. Russia sticking to it also ties the US down.

China doesn't. They can build as much as they want while the US is stuck

Comfortable-Cry8165

New-Guy1978

dervu

Well, I guess Russia doesn't need Chinese support anymore.

Mark-a-weight

havregryns

Oh how gracious of him. It's not like there's already enough nukes out there to send humanity to the stone age.

flab3r

It is giving trump a political success to sell in exchange to Trump staying out of European affairs

yuufti

Far_Out_6and_2

Furrrmen

Translates to: We need another year to ramp up nuclear arms production

bindermichi

A nuclear arms race is meaningless. I never understood the point of ensuring you could wipe out 50 planets instead of just 15. How is that supposed to make me any more scared of you, we have only only the one and we are all on it

Xtrems876

What does he need even more nukes for? Fucking retarded.

TraditionalTrifle950

He's warning us he'll attack without warning.

Ethroptur1

My personal headcanon is that Russia has around 100 operational nukes and the rest are in various stages of storage or disrepair, since nukes have a shelf life and must be refilled with new material to keep them functional, and that the Putin military bureaucracy have most likely pocketed the refurbishment money for the most part. Why maintain nukes that will never be used and no one else checks but the person assigned to maintanance supervision, who can just keep the money.

HunterThin870

Haha more like they have zero chance of finding any money to build more, they can’t maintain the ones they have! Slava Ukraini

Background-Youth-919

&gt; MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Moscow will adhere to nuclear arms limits for one more year after a nuclear pact with the United States expires in February.

&gt; The New START treaty is the last remaining arms control agreement between Russia and the U.S.

&gt; Speaking at a meeting with members of Russia’s Security Council, Putin said that the pact’s termination would have negative consequences for global stability.

&gt; Putin said that Russia would expect the U.S. to follow Moscow’s example and also stick to the treaty’s limits.

Dacadey

Russia can't afford more nukes, their economy is on the way down and more pressure on the oil exports could cripple it. Flamingos will migrate again soon

wombat9278

Ukraine war is expensive, they have zero money to make new nukes anyway.

Eckkosekiro

[deleted]

after that he'll invade moldova or the baltics

Figures he has a hall pass to use all his nukes on NATO countries and Ukraine.

beavis617

The scary movie of this new era of social and economical wars is the nuke fear. 🤣🤣🤣
"If you dont comply with my fear i will someday nuke you all" while entire EU citizens pay for a war made by oligarch for their business while people are getting poor more and more. 

Fk this nuke fear when they actually need the resources?! Who's that stupid to nuke nations and then wait 6000 years for radiation to go away and extract those resources?!  

I am really tired of this political circus!

OrionJustice

Why should we be more scared of Russia with more nuclear weapons than it has now?

antiquemule

they can't afford any , war is a costly business,.

jeramyfromthefuture

Does everyone have selective amnesia, didn't we we see the Wagner group storm back into Russia with no resistance. 

Let Russia say whatever, we just need to stop believing it. I think people have had enough as it is.

SirWobblyOfSausage

This is pointless sabre rattling meant to scare people. More money for nukes means less money for weapons that can actually be used in their invasion of Ukraine. Thats why they probably won't do it, at least to any notable degree.

RestlessCricket

A country convinced they can conquer Ukraine in 3 days and could not supply its army when the plan did not work and losing 100k+ men in the process  may have looked after this desaster into its nuclear arsenal and noticed that here is something not working as expected as well.

AdAmazing4044

These losers can't afford to make more weapons, the Russian economy is completely in shambles.

Half the missiles in their arsenals are decommissioned and unserviceable, and they know it. They can't store the launch fuel because the oxidizers are so unstable it has to be produced on demand, and their labs don't have the capability of doing that volume. You'd know if they wanted to be serious about going launch ready from how many manufacturing lab fires started in Russia. Putin could hit the button today and get maybe a third of his birds out of Russian airspace, tops. And our guys know it.

The really funny part is that their strategic assets in the oceans are being permanently bird dogged by our subs and can't get a single missile off before they got to launch depth, so the most expensive part of their program is the least capable. 

Their nuclear program is an expensive joke. The only trick to this idiot is that he might be dumb enough to spend his country's last remaining budget getting enough missiles up to snuff to pretend to use them. He's that nihilistic, he could give a shit less if he starves the Russian people if their corpses can feed his ego.

Trathnonen

Yeah… russia already attacked nato and nato did… nothing.

Do u want to test it?

pasture2future

Was this his big, scary announcement that was the talk of the town yesterday? 🙄

Blackthorne75

So this is why we're not talking about the Epstein files this week?

PrintOk8045

Putin and his goons regularly threaten the world with nukes if everyone doesn't let him take whatever he wants. Russia should zip it

Free-Way-9220

Trump will backtrack once someone competent makes it clear to him that Burevestnik and Poseidon tests weren't "nuclear tests".

DeadScumbag

I dislike Trump, and this is obviously a terrible trajectory for the world.

But it's funny how countries like Russia bitch about it, a country that consistently pushes its latest scary missile and does regular missile tests.

alexanderluko

This is just because Putin was bragging about his nuclear guided missiles.  Trump hates to come in second when there's bragging rights of power involved... even if it's Putin.

smiama36

Imagine a world with no Putin or Trump. 

Let's hope it comes soon

SnuffleWarrior

Philly139

Fair game to the UN and China but Russia can fuck off with their own publicized tests and constant nuclear threats.

n3onfx

Young me thought no one could be funnier than Bush. Adult me realized that Bush wasn't funny and neither is the orange man.

Brod1738

Both these morons should put their little dicks away and maybe try taking care of their own citizens.

BrianWantsTruth

He was eventually able to bring the world together

DesperateSteak6628

Fuck it. Cold war is back on. Lets just end it all

Sea-Cupcake-2065

The man found a way to make Russia, China, and the UN all agree on something.

toothbrush_user

Im surprised they are pushing back on this. If the US breaks the testing treaty they have a perfect excuse to do so themselves .

Element00115

Looks like reasonable and legit response to Russia's claim it launched its nuclear missile "Burevestnik" which is basically a flying Chornobyl and China's intension to increase its nuclear arsenal.
Probably the first time Trump didn't chicken out.

dlebed

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that the U.S. is considering extending limitations of the New START treaty on nuclear arms, set to expire in February 2026.

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