Russia revokes its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

2023-11-06 14:48:18

WORLD – This Thursday, November 2, Vladimir Putin approved the law aimed at canceling the ratification of the nuclear test ban treaty (CTBT), a decision which was voted by the Russian Senate last month. Russia justifies its decision by pointing out that neither China nor the United States have ratified this treaty.

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is an international agreement to ban nuclear testing. Its ultimate goal is to achieve a world where nuclear weapons are no longer used.

China and the United States have not ratified it

Some members of the Kremlin, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, have justified Russia’s withdrawal by pointing out that other nuclear-armed states, including the United States and China, do not have not ratified the treaty. The CTBT, open for signature since 1996, has been ratified by 178 countries, but it has not yet been able to enter into force due to a lack of the necessary support from the major powers.

Robert Floyd also recalled that Russia had always affirmed its firm support for the treaty since its creation, by actively contributing to the negotiations. Russia was also one of the first countries to sign it, on September 24, 1996, and to ratify it in June 2000.

Note that in 2019, the United States withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, concluded with Russia during the Cold War. Donald Trump then accused Moscow of raping him “for many years”.