Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov stated Tuesday that Moscow is “ready” to discuss with Washington the accusations made by U.S. president Donald Trump that Russia carried out secret underground nuclear tests.
Tensions between the world’s two largest nuclear powers have increased following Russia’s recent tests of nuclear-powered, nuclear-capable weapons systems, and Trump’s announcement that he was ordering tests of U.S. atomic weapons.
Trump claimed that Russia may have conducted covert nuclear detonations, beyond routine tests of delivery systems.
Lavrov denied these claims, emphasizing that the United States could verify any underground nuclear activity through the global seismic monitoring system.
“Other tests, both subcritical, or those without a chain nuclear reaction, and carrier tests, have never been prohibited,” Lavrov noted.
“We are ready to discuss the suspicions raised by our American colleagues regarding the possibility that we might be secretly doing something deep underground,” Lavrov told state media in a televised interview.
He also said Moscow was still open to a possible meeting between Putin and Trump.
