The Russian Foreign Ministry called on the United States to ratify the nuclear test ban treaty
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Russia calls on the United States to immediately ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The United States could become a driving force in this matter and set an example for other states, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said at a conference on promoting the entry into force of the CTBT.
“We call on the American government to reconsider its approaches and urgently take all necessary steps to ratify the CTBT. We also appeal to the other seven countries on which the entry into force of the CTBT depends: to sign and ratify it as soon as possible. Each of these states bears its share of responsibility for the fate of the treaty,” Vershinin emphasized (quote according to TASS).
The deputy foreign minister added that the United States has no right to discuss compliance with the moratorium on nuclear tests by Russia until it itself has ratified the treaty banning their conduct. But the Russian Federation remains committed to the moratorium and will maintain this position if other countries comply with the ban, the diplomat added.
Vershinin also noted that voluntary moratoriums on nuclear tests are very important, but they cannot compensate for the failure to resolve the main task – the entry into force of the treaty.
The UN General Assembly approved the CTBT on September 24, 1996. The document prohibits testing nuclear weapons and carrying out 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.
The President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, Csaba Quereshi, said at the end of August that the world is now approaching a nuclear disaster faster than ever before in the 21st century. He noted that global military spending reached a record $2.2 trillion in 2022. A ban on nuclear testing should become legally binding for all states, Kereshi emphasized.
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