Russian President Signs Bill to Revoke Russia's Ratification of CTBT

• 04 Nov 2023

On 2^nd Nov, Russian President signed a bill that revokes Russia's ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), a decision justified by Moscow as a move to achieve parity with the United States, which has signed but not ratified the treaty.

Key Points

• Parity with the US: Russian President’s decision to rescind Russia's ratification of the CTBT is aimed at mirroring the stance of the United States, which has not fully ratified the nuclear test ban treaty.
• Parliamentary Approval: Both houses of the Russian parliament voted last month in favor of revoking Moscow's ratification of the CTBT, solidifying the country's withdrawal from the treaty.
• The CTBT: The CTBT, adopted in 1996, prohibits nuclear explosions worldwide. However, it was never fully implemented.
• Several nations, including China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran, and Egypt, have not ratified it.
• Concerns of Nuclear Tests: There are concerns that Russia may resume nuclear testing in an effort to dissuade Western countries from providing military support to Ukraine.
• US Response: US Secretary of State expressed his disapproval, stating that Russia's move takes the international arms control regime further away from entry into force.
• Putin's Stand: President acknowledged that some experts argue in favor of conducting nuclear tests but mentioned that he had not yet formed an opinion on the matter.
• Russia's Pledge: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister reassured that Moscow would continue to respect the ban and would only resume nuclear tests if the United States did so first.