The Duma will consider a bill to revoke ratification of the CTBT on October 17

The relevant State Duma committee has prepared a bill to revoke ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Consideration of the initiative in the first reading will take place on October 17, reported press service of the State Duma.

The speaker of the lower house, Vyacheslav Volodin, recalled at the meeting that Russia has been waiting for the treaty to be ratified by the United States for 23 years.

“What is it? Double standards, meanness and irresponsible attitude. There is no other way to call it. In this situation, we must be guided exclusively by the interests of the citizens of our country, our state. Therefore, there is a proposal to withdraw ratification,” he said.

The Chairman of the State Duma also invited all deputies to become authors of the project.

Head of the Duma Committee on International Affairs Leonid Slutsky told journalists, in turn, that on October 18 the bill will be considered in the second reading, and on October 19 – in the third.

On October 5, speaking at the plenary session of the 20th annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that Russia could theoretically withdraw ratification of the CTBT. He clarified that he cannot say now whether Russia needs nuclear weapons tests.

Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov explained that the possible withdrawal of ratification does not yet mean Russia’s intention to conduct nuclear tests. He clarified that the president primarily meant “the need to bring the de facto situation to a common denominator.” Volodin said that at the State Duma Council all factions supported the adoption of the bill. The Federation Council, in turn, stated that it could support the withdrawal of ratification.

The UN General Assembly approved the CTBT on September 24, 1996. The document prohibits testing nuclear weapons and conducting nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes. The moratorium applies in the atmosphere, in space, under water and underground on the territory of all states. The CTBT has not yet entered into force, as it has not been ratified by the United States, Egypt, Israel, Iran and China and has not been signed by India, North Korea and Pakistan.