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Russia stands prepared to discuss U.S. allegations that it conducted secret underground nuclear tests, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday, denying claims made by President Donald Trump while leaving the door open for dialogue.
The statement comes amid escalating tensions between Washington and Moscow following the collapse of efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. Both nations have recently conducted weapons tests, with Russia testing its nuclear-powered delivery systems and Trump announcing plans for U.S. atomic weapons testing.
"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 said in a televised interview with state media.
Trump accused Russia and China of testing nuclear weapons in a CBS News interview earlier this month, going beyond allegations of delivery system tests — which nuclear powers routinely conduct — to claim Moscow had detonated actual nuclear warheads in secret.
Lavrov rejected the accusation, pointing to existing verification measures. The United States could confirm whether Russia tested a nuclear warhead through the global seismic monitoring system, he said.
"Other tests, both subcritical, or those without a chain nuclear reaction, and carrier tests, have never been prohibited," Lavrov added.
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The accusations surfaced after Trump abruptly canceled a proposed summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin focused on resolving the Ukraine conflict. However, Lavrov said the two issues were separate.
"I would not mix the topic of nuclear tests with the topic of the Budapest summit," he said.
Despite the tensions, Moscow remains open to high-level talks, according to Lavrov. "We are ready to discuss with our American colleagues the resumption of preparatory work for the proposed summit of the leaders of Russia and the United States," he said.
Relations between Trump and Putin have deteriorated in recent months as the Kremlin has refused to halt its nearly four-year military campaign against Ukraine, sources of growing frustration for the U.S. president.
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