U.S. criticizes Russia’s move to revoke nuclear test ban treaty, calling it ’a significant step ...

U.S. criticizes Russia’s move to revoke nuclear test ban treaty, calling it ’a significant step in wrong direction’ 美 “러시아 핵실험금지조약 비준 철회 깊이 우려“ The U.S. has criticized revoking its nuclear test ban agreement, which it says would raise tensions amid the war in Ukraine. Russian officials says the move does not mean resuming nuclear testing, but is to “mirror“ Washington’s stance. Lee Eun-jin reports. On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concerns over Russia’s withdrawal of its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty calling it an irresponsibility that represents a significant step in the wrong direction. He also added that Russia’s action will only serve to set back confidence in the international arms control regime. This followed Putin’s signing of a law that was passed unanimously in both the upper and lower houses of the Russian parliament. The legislation withdraws Moscow’s ratification of the 1996 global treaty that bans all nuclear explosions, including live tests of nuclear weapons whether for peaceful or military purposes. Russia argues that the treaty was never effective because some key countries did not ratify it and on October 6th announced its intention to withdraw from the treaty to “mirror” the position of the U.S., which has signed, but not ratified the treaty. In addition to the United States, the CTBT has yet to be ratified by China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran and Egypt. Moscow says it will not resume nuclear testing unless Washington does, but arms control experts are concerned it may be inching towards a test that the West would perceive as a threatening escalation in the context of the Ukrainian conflict. Post-Soviet Russia has not carried out a nuclear test to date. The Soviet Union last tested in 1990 and the United States in 1992. No country except North Korea has conducted a test involving a nuclear explosion this century. With the abandonment of the CTBT, the last remaining bilateral nuclear weapons treaty between Washington and Moscow is the “New START“, under which the two nations used to regularly inspect each other’s nuclear facilities and limit warheads. However, the treaty was suspended by Russia in February, and is due to expire in early 2026. Lee Eunjin, Arirang News. #Comprehensive_Nuclear_Test_Ban_Treaty #Russia #nuclear_test_ban #security #nuclearweapons #Antony_Blinken #CTBT #Vladimir_Putin #러시아 #핵실험금지조약_비준철회 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : 📣 Twitter : 📣 Homepage : 2023-11-03, 12:00 (KST)