Russia to Revoke Ratification of CTBT

October 7, 2023

Russia’s envoy to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), Mikhail Ulyanov, has announced that Russia intends to revoke its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). This move has raised tensions between Russia and the United States, adding to existing disputes related to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and arms control issues between the two nuclear superpowers. Here are the key points regarding this development:

Russian Announcement

Russia announced plans to revoke its ratification of the CTBT, which it originally ratified in the year 2000.
Russia’s aim is to align itself with the United States, which signed but did not ratify the treaty. He clarified that this revocation does not signify an intention to resume nuclear testing.

Possible Implications and Concerns

Revoking ratification could potentially pave the way for Russia to conduct nuclear tests, marking the first such tests since 1990 when the Soviet Union carried out its last test.
Resumption of nuclear testing by a nuclear superpower would undermine decades of non-proliferation efforts and agreements, including those established since the end of the Cold War.

International Tensions and Fragile Agreements

The escalation of international tensions and the modernization of nuclear arsenals by major powers have raised concerns about the stability of arms control agreements, including the CTBT.
The CTBT has been signed by 187 countries and ratified by 178, but it has not yet entered into force due to the requirement for ratification by 44 specific states, including nuclear-armed states.

Global Implications

Revocation of ratification or resumption of nuclear testing by Russia would represent a significant strategic and diplomatic provocation, undermining one of the remaining agreements managing nuclear risks.
Such actions could have profound implications for global security and further complicate international efforts to maintain arms control and non-proliferation.

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