Overview
- President Trump now says the United States will conduct nuclear tests only if other countries do so first, and U.S. defense officials report no physical testing activity underway.
- China urged Washington to honor the global testing moratorium, and the Kremlin warned Russia would act if others abandon it, reflecting anxiety over U.S. nuclear signaling.
- Reuters reporting, confirmed by Ukraine’s foreign minister, says Russia has fired the 9M729 land‑launched cruise missile 23 times since August, a system long assessed as outside defunct INF limits.
- The Pentagon has given preliminary approval to provide Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, with training and deployment questions still under review and the final decision pending Trump’s sign‑off.
- A large U.S. naval and Marine presence is concentrating near Venezuela, including the incoming USS Gerald R. Ford, as reports cite target lists tied to narco‑trafficking and Maduro seeks military support from Russia, China and Iran.