SpaceWar.com reports: “Russia on Tuesday offered to discuss with the United States allegations from Washington that it had carried out secret underground nuclear tests, in a bid to ease tensions between the world’s top two nuclear superpowers.

Russia has tested its nuclear-powered, nuclear-capable weapons systems in recent weeks, but rejects the accusation by US President Donald Trump that it had secretly detonated a nuclear device.

Trump caused concern and confusion last month when he said he was ordering the United States to test its atomic weapons in retaliation for drills carried out by Russia and China — accusations rejected by both Moscow and Beijing.

None of the three countries has publicly tested a nuclear warhead since the 1990s, and all three have signed — but not ratified — the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) that bans all atomic test blasts, whether for military or civilian purposes.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov offered on Tuesday to speak to Washington about its concerns…”