Putin Revokes Russian Nuclear Treaty Ratification

Western Experts Express Concern as Russia Withdraws from Global Arms Control Pact

November 2, 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting with members of the Security Council via video link at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia on October 27, 2023. Photo by Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS

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As Russia Chief Political Correspondent, and former Moscow bureau chief, Andrew helps lead coverage of the world’s largest country, whose political, economic and social transformation under President Vladimir Putin he has reported on for much of the last two decades, along with its growing confrontation with the West and wars in Georgia and Ukraine. Andrew was part of a Wall Street Journal reporting team short-listed for a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting. He has also reported from Moscow for two British newspapers, The Telegraph and The Independent.

Putin Revokes Russian Nuclear Treaty Ratification

On November 2, 2023, President Vladimir Putin signed a law withdrawing Russia’s ratification of the global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests. This move has been widely condemned by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, an organization dedicated to promoting adherence to the landmark arms control pact.

Moscow claims that its decision to deratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is merely a response to the United States, which signed but never ratified the treaty. Russian diplomats have stated that Russia will only resume nuclear testing if Washington does so.

However, experts in the West are worried that this move by Russia could be a step towards conducting a nuclear test for the purpose of intimidation amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Such an action could potentially trigger a resurgence in big power nuclear testing.

The head of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty Organization, Robert Floyd, expressed disappointment and regret regarding Russia’s decision. In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Floyd denounced the deratification as “deeply regrettable” and highlighted the importance of the treaty in detecting and preventing nuclear tests.

Post-Soviet Russia has not conducted any nuclear tests, with the last test conducted by the Soviet Union in 1990. The last nuclear test carried out by the United States was in 1992. Apart from North Korea, no country has performed a nuclear explosion test in the 21st century.

According to Andrey Baklitskiy, a senior researcher at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, Russia’s withdrawal from the CTBT is part of a concerning trend that has seen the suspension or termination of various arms control agreements. He warned against the potential consequences of this path and emphasized the need to avoid further escalation.

The law revoking Russia’s ratification of the CTBT was approved by Putin and immediately took effect. The decision reflects the strained relationship between the United States and Russia, with tensions reaching levels not seen since the Cuban missile crisis in 1962.

Reporting by Reuters

Written by Andrew Osborn

Edited by Guy Faulconbridge and Gareth Jones

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