President Vladimir Putin approved a measure on Thursday rescinding Russia’s ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
Putin revokes nuclear test ban treaty: Russia claims that the de-ratification has no effect on its nuclear posture or the manner in which it disseminates information about its nuclear activities, and that it would not begin testing until Washington does.
Putin had stated that he wanted Russia, which had signed and ratified the agreement, to take the same position on the treaty as the United States. Washington had signed the 1996 deal but had never done so.
While Russian officials have played down the concept, some Western weapons control specialists are concerned that Russia may be moving closer to conducting a test with the intention of frightening and inciting panic amid the conflict in Ukraine.
In response to proposals from certain Russian security experts and MPs to test a nuclear weapon as a warning to the West, Putin stated on October 5 that he was not ready to say whether or not Russia should resume nuclear testing.
Western experts fear that if such a move were to occur, it may trigger a new phase of large-scale nuclear testing by major powers.
On a government website, Putin’s approval of the de-ratification law was announced, along with the statement that it became effective right away.
The move has already received approval from the Russian parliament’s two houses.
Once-Soviet Russia has never conducted a nuclear experiment. Further, The latest tests conducted by the US in 1992 and the USSR in 1990.