(Moscow) Russia is considering canceling its ratification of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty after statements by Vladimir Putin on the Russian arsenal, the speaker of the Duma, the lower house of the Russian Parliament, said on Friday.
“The State Duma Council will discuss, at its next meeting” scheduled for Monday “the question of leaving the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty,” declared Vyacheslav Volodin, in a press release.
This announcement comes the day after a statement by Vladimir Putin according to which such an exit could be a “symmetrical response” to the United States which has never ratified this treaty.
“The situation in the world has changed. Washington and Brussels have started a war against our country. Current challenges require new solutions,” assured Mr. Volodine.
Thursday, during the international forum in Valdaï, Russia, Vladimir Putin judged that it was “not necessary” to toughen the Russian nuclear doctrine in light of the Russian assault against Ukraine and unprecedented international sanctions against Moscow.
“I am already hearing calls to start, for example, testing nuclear weapons,” he said.
“The United States has signed an appropriate nuclear test ban treaty, and Russia has signed it. Russia signed and ratified it, and the United States signed, but did not ratify,” he continued.
According to Mr. Putin, “theoretically”, Russia “could withdraw its agreement for ratification” in this context.
He also said that Russia was completing tests of new generation missiles, the Bourevestnik and the Sarmat.