Gerasimov said that the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces took into account the US position on nuclear tests.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation takes into account Washington's position regarding the possible resumption of nuclear tests. This was announced on Thursday, December 18, by the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Army General Valery Gerasimov.

"We take into account the US position on the likely resumption of nuclear tests. We strictly adhere to our obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. However, if these tests are resumed by the American side, adequate retaliatory measures will follow," he said.

Speaking at a briefing for foreign military attaches, Gerasimov said that in order to study the consequences of the lack of restrictions in the field of offensive weapons, one can turn to a vivid illustration of the situation with the deployment of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles in the world.

The Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces recalled that the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty (START) is currently in force, which will expire on February 5, 2026. Then, after the expiration of this date, there will be no restrictions in the field of nuclear weapons.

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On December 6, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced his country's intention to conduct nuclear tests on an equal basis with other countries. Referring to the words of the head of the White House, Donald Trump, about the need to modernize the American nuclear triad, he outlined Washington's desire to accelerate the development of the army.

On December 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the improvement of the Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces a priority. According to him, their improvement will help deter the aggressor.

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