The order from US President Donald Trump to start preparations for US nuclear tests poses a direct threat to the existing moratorium which has prevented the world from relapsing into yet another round of a nuclear arms race, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

“Attempts by the Americans to accuse other countries of activity allegedly incompatible with the Treaty look totally unsubstantiated. As we know, whenever such statements come from Washington, it means that the Americans are once again looking to withdraw from their international commitments,” she argued in a comment on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the opening for signature of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).