Kremlin says neither China nor Russia have carried out secret nuclear tests

The Kremlin said on Wednesday (February 18, 2026) that ​neither China nor Russia have carried ‌out secret nuclear tests, noting Beijing ​had denied U.S. accusations ⁠that it had done so.

The United States this month accused China of conducting ‌a secret nuclear test in 2020 as it called ‌for a new, broader ‌arms control ⁠treaty that would bring in ⁠China as well as Russia.

“We’ve heard many references to certain tests. Both ​the Russian Federation and ‌China have been mentioned in this regard. Neither the Russian Federation nor China has conducted any nuclear ‌tests,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry ​Peskov told reporters.

“We also know that these allegations were ⁠categorically denied by a representative of the People’s Republic of China, ‌so that’s the situation,” added Peskov.

U.S. President Donald Trump is pressing China to join the U.S. and Russia to negotiate a replacement pact to New START, the ‌last U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control agreement which ​expired on February 5.

The treaty’s expiration has fuelled concerns ⁠among some experts that the world is ⁠on the verge of an accelerated nuclear arms race, though ‌other arms control experts say such fears are exaggerated.