Russia preparing to revoke Nuclear Test Ban Treaty ratification

The Russian State Duma Council will discuss revoking the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) at its next meeting, speaker of the Russian State Duma  Vyacheslav Volodin said.

• The first reading will be held on October 17,
• the second reading will be held on October 18,
• the third reading will be held on October 19.

This week, the State Duma’s Council, at the suggestion of the lower house’s speaker, Vyacheslav Volodin, instructed the Duma Foreign Affairs Committee to contact the Russian Foreign Ministry over the issue of revoking the ratification of the treaty, because the U.S. had not ratified the document.

What is CTBT?

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty was approved by the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 1996. The document bans nuclear charge test explosions along with nuclear blasts for peaceful purposes. The ban applies to all areas and is absolute and comprehensive. The treaty has not entered into force yet because the United States has not ratified it.