Amid the nuclear negotiations held in Vienna earlier this week, the United States informed Russia that the Trump administration finds no reason to perform nuclear weapons tests during this time. However, the US also insisted that it should still reserve the right to do so if necessary.
According to CNN, the country's top envoy for the negotiations, Marshall Billingslea stated that at the moment, he is unaware of any reasons that nuclear tests would be performed in the country. But he stood firm that the country maintains its ability to perform such tests if it deems fit just like it always has since a nuclear testing moratorium was adopted by the country in 1992.
Moreover, Billingslea stated that during the meetings, he was questioned by Russia on the possibility of nuclear testing in the country citing a media report that was published last month about US officials discussing the matter. In addition, he said that the US is not shutting its doors on the matter since it has found no reason to do so.
Nuclear deal with Russia and China, a priority
Meanwhile, during the Vienna negotiations, it has been apparent that US President Donald Trump has prioritized brokering a nuclear deal with Russia and China. However, despite Trump's claims that China has already shown interest in the deals, Beijing continues to turn down invitations to join the nuclear discussions.
The administration currently has focused on plans to improve its nuclear arsenal by developing new weapons.
Earlier this year, a new low-yield nuke launched via submarine was deployed by the US military, it was the first new nuke that the US has developed in decades. According to the Pentagon, developing new weaponry is critical in countering threats posed by the arsenal of smaller tactical nuclear weapons of Russia.
US nuclear weapons lab faces scientific misconduct lawsuit.
Meanwhile, as the Us tries to build and strengthen its nuclear arsenal, one of its nuclear weapons laboratories, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California currently faces a lawsuit on alleged scientific misconduct by one of its former employees.
Fifty-year-old physicist, Peter Williams worked at the laboratory for more than a year from January of 2016 up to ay of 2017. At the moment, William claims that he was fired from his job as retaliation after he reported his superiors for mishandling a computer software handling the simulation of high explosives while not considering its ability to predict the performance of a particular nuclear weapon when used, Sciencemag reported.
William lawsuit against Livermore and seven people ask for $600,000 in damages and reinstatement.
On top of this, researchers who are familiar with the laboratory are saying that the allegations of Williams should not be taken lightly. University of California geophysicist Raymond Jeanloz stated that if there has been misconduct that has been covered-up, it is essential that authorities look into it.
At the moment, Livermore has refused to make comments on the lawsuit.
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