Putin signed a law revoking ratification of the nuclear test ban treaty

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law revoking ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Document published on the official Internet portal of legal information.

The law comes into force on the day of its publication, that is, on November 2.

Question about the need to revoke ratification Putin raised at a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club on October 5. At the same time, he clarified that he cannot say now whether Russia needs nuclear weapons tests.

“But behave in a mirror manner in relations with the United States, I repeat once again, when they signed but did not ratify [договор о запрещении ядерных испытаний], and we signed and ratified it, in principle, it is possible. But this is a question for the State Duma deputies. Theoretically, it is possible to revoke ratification, if we do this, that will be quite enough,” he clarified.

Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov explainedthat the withdrawal of ratification does not mean that Russia intends to conduct nuclear tests.

The document on the revocation of ratification of the CTBT was submitted to the State Duma on October 14, and deputies adopted it on October 18. Council of the Federation approved the law is a week later, October 25. Peskov notedthat the withdrawal of ratification of the treaty de jure equalizes the rights of Russia and the United States. Earlier, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin emphasized that Russia intends to do everything to protect its citizens and maintain strategic parity. He also noted that ratification of the CTBT had been expected from the United States for 23 years, but Washington never did so.

October 18 at the US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) reported to conduct an underground chemical explosion at a nuclear test site at a Nevada national security site “to improve the United States’ ability to detect low-yield nuclear explosions around the world.” October 26, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reportedthat Moscow has not yet discovered any violations during testing at the Nevada nuclear test site.

Russia previously signed an agreement to accept the treaty on September 24, 1996. The document prohibits nuclear weapons tests and nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes. The moratorium applies in the atmosphere, in space, under water and underground. However, the CTBT did not come into force because it was not ratified by the United States, Egypt, Israel, Iran and China and was not signed by India, North Korea and Pakistan.