Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has nullified his nation’s endorsement of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), asserting that this move is intended to align Moscow with the United States.
The recent legislation to withdraw from this pivotal accord prohibiting nuclear weapons testing was formally enacted on Thursday, following unanimous approval by Russia’s upper house, the Federation Council, one week earlier.
The lower house, the State Duma, had already passed the bill through an expedited vote. With President Putin’s signature, the law became effective on the same day.
Established in 1996, the treaty categorically bans all nuclear explosions, including live tests of nuclear weaponry.
However, it has never been fully effective due to the non-ratification by some crucial nations.
On October 6, Moscow announced its intent to exit the treaty to mirror the stance of the United States, which had signed but not yet ratified the CTBT.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his concern, stating that Russia’s action is a significant step in the wrong direction, moving away from, rather than toward, the treaty’s entry into force. He urged Russia to stand by its commitment not to resume nuclear testing.
Apart from the United States, the CTBT remains unratified by China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran, and Egypt.
Robert Floyd, the head of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty Organization, which advocates for the treaty’s recognition and works to enhance its verification mechanisms to detect any unauthorized nuclear tests, strongly criticized Russia’s decision.
Floyd lamented Russia’s move, describing it as deeply regrettable and disappointing. He had previously attempted to persuade senior Russian officials to reconsider their stance. France, an original signatory to the treaty, expressed its disapproval of Russia’s withdrawal.
The French government stated, “Russia’s decision compromises the efforts to make the treaty universal. We reaffirm the significance of the CTBT and its full implementation.”
