Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed into law a bill revoking Russia’s ratification of a major nuclear test ban treaty, a move signaling Moscow is continuing to brush aside nuclear restrictions amid its war with Ukraine.
Russian state-run media reported Putin’s signing of the law, which was passed by the Russian parliament last month following public comments from Putin signaling his intent to revoke the treaty banning nuclear bomb testing,
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) was opened in 1996 and was eventually ratified by 178 countries, including Russia.
However, several major powers, including the U.S. and China, did not ratify the treaty, and it never went into effect because it did not reach its required threshold.
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When he signaled an intent to revoke the CTBT, Putin noted the U.S. never ratified the treaty.
The Kremlin said the revocation of the nuclear test ban evens the playing field, according to Russian state-run media outlet TASS.
Still, major powers have not tested nuclear bombs since the 1990s. It’s not clear if Putin intends to test any nuclear bombs in the near future or if the move is simply to keep the threat of nuclear weapons in the eyes of Western powers amid the war in Ukraine.
Putin and his allies have increasingly threatened to use nuclear weapons, and the Russian leader moved smaller yield tactical nuclear bombs to Belarus earlier this year.
Russia in October also completed a test of an experimental, long-range cruise missile that is nuclear powered after an initial ground launch.