U.S. President Donald Trump discussed several international issues during a television interview and remarks to reporters aboard Air Force One, where he accused Russia and China of conducting secret nuclear tests, threatened military action in Nigeria, and warned Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro that his days in power were numbered. At the same time, Trump praised Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, saying he plans to welcome him to the White House.
Speaking to the program “60 Minutes” on CBS, Trump commented on his recent order for the Pentagon to resume nuclear testing, saying: “Russia is conducting tests, and China is conducting tests, but they don’t talk about them. No one really knows where they’re happening — they do them underground, out of sight.”
Regarding Venezuela, Trump sent mixed signals about possible U.S. military intervention. When asked whether the United States planned to go to war with Venezuela, he said: “I doubt it. I don’t think so.” But when asked if Maduro’s time in power was nearly over, he replied: “Yes, I think so. I can say that.”
The U.S. accuses President Maduro of drug trafficking, an allegation he denies, claiming Washington is fabricating pretexts to change the regime in Caracas and seize control of Venezuela’s oil. Over the past few weeks, more than 15 U.S. airstrikes on ships in the Caribbean have reportedly killed at least 65 people, drawing criticism from several governments in the region.
On Nigeria, Trump reiterated his threat of military action, saying it would be in defense of Christians there, despite the Nigerian government expressing a desire to resolve the issue through dialogue. When asked if he was considering deploying ground forces or launching airstrikes, Trump responded: “That could happen — maybe other things too. They’re killing Christians in record numbers. We won’t allow that to continue.”
In another development, Trump praised Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, stating that “he’s working hard and doing a great job.” He added: “We lifted sanctions on Syria to give it a chance, and I’ve heard its president is performing very well.”
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani later confirmed that President al-Sharaa will visit the White House later this month to discuss rebuilding Syria and strengthening bilateral relations.
As for Ukraine, Trump said he was not currently considering supplying Kyiv with long-range Tomahawk missiles, though he did not rule out changing his position. The Tomahawk missiles have a range of 2,500 kilometers, giving Ukraine the capability to strike deep inside Russia, including Moscow. Russia has warned that such a move by Washington would lead to serious consequences.
