Trump responds to Russian test of unlimited-range cruise missile

Moscow and Washington are not “playing games” with nuclear deterrence, the US president has said

Washington and Moscow “are not playing games” with nuclear deterrence, US President Donald Trump has said, responding to Russia’s announcement of a successful test of its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday, Trump was asked whether he views the Russian report as saber-rattling. “They are not playing games with us. We are not playing games with them either. We test missiles all the time,” he said.

On Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the Burevestnik – a nuclear-powered cruise missile capable of virtually unlimited range – successfully completed a key flight test. The report was delivered to President Vladimir Putin by Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov during a meeting with senior military officials.

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Trump also referenced his own decision to move two US nuclear submarines closer to Russian waters, commenting: “we don’t need to go 8,000 miles” – the distance the Russian missile reportedly flew during testing.

He added that the announcement is not “appropriate,” saying: “A war that should have taken one week is now in its soon fourth year. That’s what [Putin] ought to do instead of testing missiles,” Trump said.

The Burevestnik system, powered by a miniature nuclear reactor, is designed to remain airborne for extended periods – potentially months – and strike from unpredictable directions. Moscow says the weapon will bolster Russia’s strategic deterrent once it enters service. According to Gerasimov, the latest trial included flight maneuvers aimed at testing the missile’s ability to evade interception.

The missile is understood to be significantly smaller and cheaper than regular intercontinental ballistic missiles, which deliver their payload via a suborbital launch.