The Russian president announced this news at a meeting of the Security Council. He instructed the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry, and special services to investigate the issue of nuclear weapons tests.

In turn, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov proposed conducting tests on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago.

The decision on nuclear weapons testing is being discussed in light of the statements made by the Donald Trump administration about its own testing.

Putin said that if US President Donald Trump raises the idea of resuming nuclear testing, Russia will consider doing the same.

Putin noted that in such a case, Russia"will have to take appropriate retaliatory measures."

Putin explains that Russia has always strictly adhered to its obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, but if the United States or any nuclear-armed state were to test such a weapon, Russia would do the same.

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov told Putin that recent comments and actions by the United States meant that"we should immediately prepare for full-scale nuclear testing."

"I have instructed the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry... special services and relevant civilian institutions to do everything possible to collect additional information on this issue, analyze it in the Security Council and submit agreed proposals on the possible start of preparations for nuclear weapons tests," Putin said, quoted by Reuters.

Russian publications, citing the Vandenberg Space Force Base in the US state of California, are reporting that the United States has tested the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.

US President Trump said on Friday that the US would conduct nuclear tests if other countries did so, but did not clearly say what type of tests he meant.

"We will do some testing if other countries are doing it. If they are doing it, we will do it," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Although Trump announced last week that he was ordering the Pentagon to immediately resume nuclear weapons testing, the Vandenberg Space Force Base public affairs office said the test was routine and had been planned earlier.

Trump's comments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin said last Wednesday that Moscow had successfully tested an underwater drone capable of carrying nuclear weapons, despite warnings from Washington.