Russia will “act accordingly” if the US resumes nuclear testing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, as Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoygu announced a review of the feasibility of nuclear tests following recent statements from US officials.

Peskov was reacting to remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Washington’s renewed testing directive “includes delivery systems,” after President Donald Trump instructed the Pentagon on Oct. 29 to restart nuclear tests “immediately.”

Rubio did not explicitly confirm that full-scale tests were under consideration.

“If we consider this as confirmation that the US is withdrawing from the test ban, then this confirms these intentions,” Peskov said, arguing that any testing would break a period in which a comprehensive moratorium had held. “As our president said, in this case, Russia will act accordingly.”

He said President Vladimir Putin’s order on Nov. 5 was not to begin preparations for a test, but to gather information and “examine the advisability” of such preparations in light of US moves.

 DID/