Russia Revokes Ratification of Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, But Pledges to Observe Moratorium

Russia intends to “continue to respect the moratorium on nuclear tests”, despite the revocation of its ratification of the treaty which prohibits them, affirmed its Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday. “We intend to continue to respect the moratorium on nuclear tests established more than 30 years ago,” the ministry said in a statement, stressing, however, that the potential carrying out of “large-scale tests” by the United States “ (them) would force them to do the same.”

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War in Ukraine: Vladimir Putin withdraws Russia from international treaty banning nuclear tests

The day before, President Vladimir Putin signed the revocation of the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Russia nevertheless remains “a signatory, with all the rights and obligations that this implies”, recalled the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“A big step in the wrong direction”

Opened for signature in 1996, this treaty never came into force because it was only ratified by too few States, among the 44 countries which held nuclear installations at the time of its drafting. The United States, for example, has not done so. The fact remains that, against the backdrop of the conflict in Ukraine, the Russian revocation was perceived as a very bad signal by the West. The head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken denounced “a big step in the wrong direction”, urging Moscow not to resume such tests.

“It proved impossible to maintain the imbalance”

On the side of Moscow, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the contrary assured that “the most destructive position with regard to the treaty was adopted by the United States, which avoided ratifying it for almost a quarter of a century under false pretexts. “It proved impossible to maintain the imbalance” between Moscow and Washington regarding this treaty, given the “very hostile approach” of the United States, the ministry added.