Russia Blames US 'Irresponsible Attitude' As It Moves To Revoke Ratification Of Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Amid Security Concerns

Russia on Tuesday announced its decision to revoke the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), blaming the U.S. for its decision.

What Happened: Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the Russian parliament’s lower house, cited Washington’s “irresponsible attitude to global security” as the primary reason for the decision, Reuters reported.

“In the interests of ensuring the security of our country, we are withdrawing the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty,” Duma Speaker Volodin said ahead of a debate and parliamentary vote on revoking ratification.

Despite the revocation, Russia will remain a signatory and continue cooperating with the test ban treaty organization and the global monitoring system.

Volodin clarified that this move doesn’t imply that Russia intends to test a nuclear bomb. Instead, he stated that Russia is merely aligning its stance with that of the U.S.

“The Russian Federation will do everything to protect its citizens and to maintain global strategic parity,” he added.

See Also: Ivanka’s Damage Control? Trump’s Daughter Plugs ‘Timely’ Jared Kushner Talk On Israel-Hamas As Ex-President

Russia ratified the CTBT in 2000, while the U.S. has yet to do so. Established in 1996, this treaty was designed to halt all nuclear test explosions worldwide. The last nuclear test by Russia occurred in 1990, under the Soviet Union, while the U.S. conducted its last test in 1992. Since the CTBT’s establishment, only ten nuclear tests have taken place, conducted by India, Pakistan, and North Korea, according to UN data.

Why It Matters: This came after a non-partisan committee chosen by the U.S. Congress last week stated that the U.S. should prepare itself for concurrent conflicts involving Moscow and Beijing. This preparedness should involve the augmentation of its conventional forces, bolstering alliances, and advancing the modernization of its nuclear weaponry program.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected such discussions as baseless and asserted that he perceives no necessity to modify Russia’s nuclear doctrine. This doctrine outlines that Russia would solely authorize a nuclear strike if it faced an attack or if a conventional weapons attack jeopardized its state’s existence.

“I hear calls to start testing nuclear weapons, to return to testing,” Putin said earlier this month.

“I am not ready to say whether we really need to conduct tests or not, but it is possible theoretically to behave in the same way as the United States.”

Image via Shutterstock

Read Next: Judge In Trump Case Faced With Challenging Decision Over Proposed Gag Order