Russian State Duma revokes ratification of nuclear test ban treaty

This is reported by the Russian service of Radio Liberty and Interfax.

In the third and final reading, 415 deputies voted in favor, and no one spoke against it. The document, drafted on behalf of State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, was submitted to parliament on October 13.

Radio Liberty reminds us that the initiative to withdraw the ratification was put forward by Russian President Vladimir Putin in early October when he said that there was no need to change Russia's nuclear doctrine, but that it was possible to consider withdrawing the ratification of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty since the United States had not ratified it.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the withdrawal of the ratification does not mean that Moscow intends to conduct nuclear tests.

For reference. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is an international treaty banning nuclear testing adopted by the United Nations in 1996. It has not been ratified by the United States and China.

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty: what is known about Russia's withdrawal

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was approved on September 10, 1996, by a resolution of the UN General Assembly and opened for signature by all countries on September 24, 1996. The main goal of the treaty is to ban all nuclear tests - above ground, underground, in the atmosphere and underwater.

The states that are parties to the CTBT have undertaken legal obligations not to carry out any nuclear explosions and to refrain from inducing, encouraging or participating in any way in the conduct of test explosions. As the treaty is open-ended, this prohibition has no time limit.

In August, the European Union condemned Russia's threats to use nuclear weapons in its aggressive war against Ukraine and emphasized Moscow's compliance with its commitments, including in a statement with China.

Photos from a Russian base in the Arctic show that Russia may be preparing to test an experimental intercontinental ballistic missile.

At the same time, on October 6, the Russian Federation announced that at the next meeting of the State Duma Council, the issue of withdrawing the ratification of the UN Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty would be discussed.

The United States is "alarmed" by the statement of a Russian diplomat about Moscow's plans to cancel the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. The US State Department called Russia's steps a "threat to a global norm".

A report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) stated that the Russian government is moving to withdraw Russia's ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

At the same time, on October 17, State Duma deputy Andrei Gurulov of the United Russia party called on Russians to prepare for a nuclear war.