Reaction to US “cynicism”.
Putin lifts ban on nuclear weapons tests
November 2nd, 2023, 5:45 p.m
Russian President Vladimir Putin is withdrawing the Russian ratification of the ban on nuclear weapons tests by law. This is a reaction to the “cynicism” of the USA with regard to nuclear weapons. The European Union expresses regret and concerns.
By signing a law, Russian President Vladimir Putin has withdrawn his country from the treaty banning nuclear weapons tests. Both chambers of parliament had previously approved the project. The chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, emphasized during the hearing that the cancellation was a reaction to the “cynicism” of the USA with regard to nuclear weapons. Putin justified the withdrawal by saying that Russia must have the same opportunities as the USA.
The so-called Nuclear Weapons Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) provides for an end to all nuclear weapons tests and was submitted for signature in 1996. However, it has not yet come into force because it has not been ratified by a sufficient number of countries, including the USA and China. 178 countries, including the nuclear powers France and Great Britain, had agreed to the agreement.
Participation in “New Start” also suspended
Russia’s parliament ratified the agreement in 2000 – six months after Putin was first elected as Kremlin leader. Since the start of his offensive in Ukraine in February 2022, the Russian president has repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons. In the summer of 2023, Moscow stationed tactical nuclear weapons in its ally Belarus. At the beginning of October, Putin said he was “not ready to say” whether Russia would resume its nuclear weapons tests.
In February, Russia also suspended its participation in the New Start Agreement. The 2010 treaty with the USA to limit their respective nuclear weapons stocks, which runs until 2026, is the last bilateral nuclear agreement between Moscow and Washington.
EU appeals to Putin
The EU regrets Putin lifting the ban. The treaty is an instrument of crucial importance for nuclear disarmament and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Brussels on behalf of the European Union. “It is crucial to international peace and security that all states fully comply with the moratorium on nuclear weapons tests or other nuclear explosions.”
Withdrawing ratification of the treaty would undermine ongoing non-proliferation and disarmament efforts, it said. “The European Union calls on Russia to continue to respect the purpose and objective of the treaty.” The EU further appeals to all states that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the treaty without preconditions or further delays.