Russia's parliament swiftly passed a bill revoking Russia's ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), responding to President Vladimir Putin's call to "mirror" the United States' stance, which signed but never ratified the 1996 treaty.
The State Duma, the lower house, unanimously approved the bill, emphasizing Russia's responsibility to protect its citizens and blaming the current global situation on the United States. Putin's move to change Russia's stance on nuclear testing coincides with heightened tensions with the West due to the Ukraine crisis. Experts express concerns that a Russian nuclear test could trigger a broader arms race, as the United States and other nuclear-armed countries might respond in kind.
While Russia revoked its ratification of the CTBT, it remains a signatory and continues to supply data to the global monitoring system to detect nuclear tests. There are hints that Russia may fully withdraw from the treaty, keeping its intentions uncertain. This legislative change follows Russia's earlier suspension of the New START treaty with the United States, raising concerns of increasing global instability.
Despite criticism, the United States, which signed but never ratified the CTBT, faces limitations in condemning Russia's move, given its own longstanding non-ratification. Melissa Parke of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons called Russia's action irresponsible, highlighting the importance of treaties like the CTBT to prevent nuclear testing. Notably, both post-Soviet Russia and the United States haven't conducted nuclear tests since the early 1990s.
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