US President Donald Trump has urged Russian leader Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine instead of testing new nuclear weapons, after Moscow announced a successful launch of its long-range, nuclear-powered cruise missile.
The Kremlin said last week that it had tested the 9M730 Burevestnik—known to NATO as the SSC-X-9 Skyfall—a nuclear-capable missile designed to fly thousands of kilometres and evade Western missile defences. The test, reportedly conducted from the Arctic archipelago of Novaya Zemlya, is being seen as a major development in Russia’s strategic weapons programme.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during his Asia tour, Trump criticised the test as “not appropriate,” warning that such actions heightened global instability. “You ought to get the war ended—that’s what you ought to do instead of testing missiles,” he said, directly addressing Putin.
Trump also underlined U.S. military strength, stating that America “has nuclear submarines off [Russia’s] shores,” in a pointed reminder of Washington’s deterrence capabilities.
The Burevestnik missile, first unveiled by Putin in 2018, has been touted by Moscow as having “unlimited range” and the ability to bypass all air-defence systems. Western analysts, however, view the project as a risky escalation in the nuclear arms race, especially amid a prolonged and devastating war in Ukraine.
The renewed test comes as fighting intensifies in eastern Ukraine, with reports of Russian troop movements near Pokrovsk and continued drone strikes on civilian infrastructure.
As the conflict enters its fourth year, Trump repeated his long-standing claim that the war “should have taken one week to resolve,” urging Moscow to pursue diplomacy instead of nuclear demonstrations.
Global observers say Trump’s remarks reflect growing concern that Russia’s weapons tests and heightened rhetoric could derail fragile international efforts aimed at de-escalation.
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