Legal Framework

Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties — Article 18

Requires states that have signed but not yet ratified a treaty to refrain from acts that would defeat the treaty's object and purpose. This obligation of good faith applies from signature until the state makes clear it does not intend to ratify.

Related incidents

1 incident

Trump Orders Pentagon to Resume Nuclear Weapons Testing, Breaking 33-Year Moratorium

Trump directed the Pentagon to match other nations' nuclear testing programs, breaking a moratorium that has held since 1992 and threatening to collapse the global norm against nuclear testing that …

  • On October 30, 2025, Trump publicly directed the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing, stating the US should match 'other countries' …
  • The US has not conducted a live nuclear weapons test since 1992, when President George H.W. Bush imposed a unilateral testing moratorium. No …