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Vladimir Putin ordered plans to restart Russia’s nuclear tests after Donald Trump said last week that America would carry out new weapon trials.

The Russian defence minister advised Putin to prepare “for full-scale nuclear tests” given the US president’s decision , sparking fears of a new nuclear weapons race.

The Russian president said his country had strictly adhered to its obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty but that if the United States or any nuclear power tested such a weapon, then Russia would do so too.

Defence Minister Andrei Belou

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