PUTIN ORDERS ‘POSSIBLE FIRST STEPS’ FOR NUKE TESTS: At a meeting of his security council at the Kremlin on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin quizzed his ministers about what to make of President Donald Trump’s recent pronouncement that the U.S. would resume testing of nuclear weapons after a three-decade moratorium.
“I would like to note that Russia has always strictly adhered to its obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and we do not plan to abandon these obligations,” Putin said, according to the official Kremlin transcript of the meeting. “At the same time, indeed, in my 2023 Address to the Federal Assembly, I said that if the United States or any other state party to the Treaty was to conduct such tests, Russia would be under obligation to take reciprocal measures.”
Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said Russian analysts have scrutinized the public statements of Trump, Vice President JD Vance, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and they still can’t figure out what the U.S. actually plans to do. “We analyzed these statements, but we are not entirely clear about the United States’ future plans and steps regarding nuclear weapons testing.”
“The situation is fairly complex,” said Alexander Bortnikov, director of Russia’s Federal Security Service. “I agree that it must be taken seriously, but I believe many questions need to be answered before we can come up with a specific decision.”
Based on that, Putin ordered that Russia proceed cautiously to prepare a resumption of nuclear testing, should the United States move forward. “I instruct the Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry, the special services, and the corresponding civilian agencies to do everything possible to gather additional information on this matter, have it analysed by the Security Council, and submit coordinated proposals on the possible first steps focusing on preparations for nuclear weapons tests.”
DEMOCRATS: ‘GEOPOLITICALLY DANGEROUS, FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE, AND SIMPLY UNNECESSARY’: In a letter to President Trump, the top Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and a member of the Intelligence Committee called for the administration to “reverse course on resuming nuclear weapons testing,” and like Putin, they are confused about what Trump actually has in mind.
“While [Energy] Secretary Chris Wright recently sought to provide context to the directive you announced last week, we request that you personally provide clarification,” wrote Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV). “The decision to resume nuclear weapons testing would be geopolitically dangerous, fiscally irresponsible, and simply unnecessary to ensure the ability of the United States to defend itself.”
Trump’s comments in a 60 Minutes interview aired Sunday seemed to indicate that what he was referring to was extremely low-yield underground tests that don’t actually result in an explosion.
“I think the tests we’re talking about right now are system tests,” Wright told Fox Host Peter Doocy. “These are not nuclear explosions. These are what we call non-critical explosions. So, you’re testing all the other parts of a nuclear weapon to make sure they deliver the appropriate geometry and they set up the nuclear explosion.”
“So, this is not something where people who live in the Nevada desert should expect to see a mushroom cloud at some point?” Doocy asked.
“No. No worries about that. No worries about that,” Wright replied.
WRIGHT SAYS NUCLEAR TESTS ORDERED BY TRUMP WON’T INCLUDE EXPLOSIONS
CHINA HAS THE MOST TO GAIN: “A return to explosive nuclear testing is a really bad idea,” says Heather Williams, director of the Project on Nuclear Issues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “If we start explosive nuclear testing again, I think we’ll see a testing cascade and other countries will start violating testing moratoriums.”
Williams was speaking at a virtual discussion yesterday and warned that while the tests would have minimal value to the United States, new tests would greatly help China’s effort to significantly expand its nuclear arsenal.
“The country that will benefit the most from a return to nuclear testing is China,” Williams said. “We have over 1,000 nuclear tests under our belt, and the data that comes from that. The Chinese only have a couple dozen, and so if you open up that option again and you see the Chinese returning to some sort of explosive testing, I think they’ll get the most out of it.”
“The best way to prevent Russia from resuming explosive nuclear testing is not only for the United States and other nuclear possessors to continue to observe the testing moratorium, but also for the wider international community to hold Russia and China accountable for their suspected low-yield testing in violation of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty,” Williams writes with her colleague Lachlan MacKenzie on the CSIS website. “Trump’s recent comments, along with reports from the intelligence community, indicate Russia and China have not been meeting these terms.”
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Good Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre.
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NOTE TO READERS: Daily on Defense will be on Thanksgiving break beginning the week of Monday, Nov. 17, and continuing through the end of the month. We’ll be back the beginning of December.
HAPPENING TODAY: The Senate meets at 10 a.m., and has a vote scheduled for 5 p.m. on a discharge motion for a resolution that would direct the removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities “within or against Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress.”
The measure backed by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) comes as the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford is steaming toward Venezuela, amid increasing indications President Trump is considering airstrikes against drug cartel targets.
“There is no authorization for the use of military force that gives President Trump the authority to launch military strikes in Venezuela,” Kaine said in a statement. “And instead of working with Congress, the Trump administration has left us in the dark about the ongoing operations and large-scale buildup of military assets in the region.”
On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced the 16th strike against suspected drug smugglers, destroying a small boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two alleged narco-terrorists. That brings the death toll in the maritime campaign to 67 people.
“These are small outboards with no fentanyl and no path to Florida. To kill indiscriminately is akin to summary execution!” said Sen. Rand Paul. “Everyone should get a trial because sometimes the system gets it wrong. Even the worst of the worst in our country get due process.”
“The Coast Guard doesn’t blow up boats off Miami because 25% of the time their suspicion is wrong. Venezuela is no different,” Paul said. “The bottom line is that execution without process is not justice, and blowing up foreign ships is a recipe for chaos.”
RUBIO AND HEGSETH TRY TO CALM THE WATERS: With several Republican senators wavering in their support for possible military action against Venezuela, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and War Secretary Pete Hegseth made a trip to Capitol Hill yesterday to brief a small group of congressional leaders on the ongoing efforts to destroy suspected drug boats at sea.
“What we heard isn’t enough. We need a lot more answers. And I am now asking for an all-senators briefing on this issue,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said as he left the meeting.
Politico reported yesterday that four Senate Republicans are still reviewing the Justice Department’s legal rationale, which Congress received last week. The four are in addition to two other Republicans who voted against the military strikes in a previous vote.
It would take five GOP defections to approve the invocation of the War Powers Resolution.
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THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby meets with Sen. Dan Sullivan after criticism
Washington Examiner: Republican senators air frustrations over lack of information from Pentagon
Washington Examiner: Trump’s State Department has revoked over 80,000 nonimmigrant visas since January
Washington Examiner: Supreme Court justices pit president’s economic powers against foreign policy powers in tariffs argument
Wall Street Journal: Trump Expresses Reservations Over Strikes in Venezuela to Top Aides
AP: Trump has other tariff options if the Supreme Court strikes down his worldwide import taxes
AP: DC National Guard deployment in the nation’s capital ordered by Trump is extended to Feb. 28
Washington Post: Ukraine must choose between saving territory or its men in Pokrovsk fight
BBC: Why the fall of Pokrovsk would matter to Ukraine and Russia
AP: As Russian drone incursions rattle Europe, Poland and Romania deploy a new defensive system
Defense News: Experts: Full Nuclear Weapons Tests Would Backfire on US
Reuters: Saudi Arabia’s Request to Buy F-35 Jets Clears Key Pentagon Hurdle, Sources Say
Defense One: Draft List of Attendees for Hegseth Acquisition-Reform Speech Shows Wide Industry Interest
AP: Attackers board a ship off the coast of Somalia after firing rocket-propelled grenades
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Conducts Unarmed ICBM Launch as Trump Ponders Nuclear Tests
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Installations Nominee Endorses More Privatized Housing
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Report: Pentagon Can’t Forget About PNT for Golden Dome
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Airmen Cleared to Start Training on New EA-37 Compass Call Simulator
THE CALENDAR:
THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 6
8: 30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Engaging China,” with House Armed Services ranking member Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) https://www.csis.org/events/rep-adam-smith-engaging-china
9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in Washington: What’s Next for U.S.-Saudi Relations?” with former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney, nonresident senior adviser at the CSIS Middle East Program; and Mona Yacoubian, director of the CSIS Middle East Program https://www.csis.org/events/mbs-washington-whats-next-us-saudi-relations
9:30 a.m. G-50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the nominations of Michael Payne to be director of cost assessment and program evaluation in the Defense Department; Alexander Velez-Green to be a deputy Defense undersecretary; Timothy Dill to be an assistant secretary of defense; and Maurice Todd to be an assistant secretary of defense http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
10:30 a.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE — Heritage Foundation discussion: “Letting New START Expire: How the Nuclear Arms Treaty Undermines American Security,” with Rebeccah Heinrichs, director, Hudson Institute Keystone Defense Initiative; and Robert Peters, Heritage senior research fellow for strategic deterrence https://www.heritage.org/defense/event/letting-new-start-expire
11 a.m. 1000 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Cato Institute forum: “The Military Balance in the Indo-Pacific, with and Without Taiwan,” with Jonathan Caverley, visiting senior fellow, International Institute for Strategic Studies; Evan Montgomery, vice president for research and studies, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments; and Evan Sankey, Cato policy analyst https://www.cato.org/events/military-balance-indo-pacific-without-taiwan
11 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “A Broader Look at Dynamic Space Operations: Imposing Multi-Dimensional Dilemmas on Adversaries,” with report author Charles Galbreath, senior resident fellow for spacepower studies at the Mitchell Institute’s Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence; retired Lt. Gen. John Shaw, former deputy commander of U.S. Space Command; and Trevor Haak, director of strategic development for space systems and technologies at GA-EMS https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/events
11 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Trump’s Deals in Asia: China, Korea, and Japan,” with Evan Medeiros, Georgetown University senior fellow in Asian studies; Christopher Johnstone, partner at the Asia Group; Victor Cha, CSIS Korea chair; and Mark Lippert, CSIS nonresident senior adviser https://www.csis.org/events/trumps-deals-asia-china-korea-japan-capital-cable-124
11 a.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “How Congress Will Shape U.S. Defense Policy,” with House Armed Services ranking member Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/representative-adam-smith
FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 7
10 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: “Strategic Stockpile Stewardship: A Retrospective and Forward Look at U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy,” with Don Cook, former deputy administrator for defense programs, National Nuclear Security https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/strategic-stockpile-stewardship
