Russia's envoy to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) said that Moscow plans to revoke its ratification of the pact, known as the CTBT, prompting immediate criticism from the United States.
Mikhail Ulyanov said on October 6 on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Russia "plans to revoke ratification" of the CTBT, a multilateral treaty to ban nuclear weapons tests for civilian and military purposes.
"The aim is to be on equal footing with the #US who signed the Treaty, but didn't ratify it. Revocation doesn't mean the intention to resume nuclear tests," he said.
Ulyanov's statement came after the chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, said the Russian parliament's lower chamber at its "nearest" session will discuss revoking Moscow's ratification of the 1996 treaty.
The CTBT has been signed by 187 countries and ratified by 178 but cannot go into force until eight holdouts -- China, Egypt, Iran, Israel, North Korea, India, Pakistan, and the United States -- have signed and ratified it.
Though the United States has not ratified the treaty, it has observed a moratorium on nuclear weapon test explosions since 1992 and says it has no plans to abandon the treaty.
The U.S. State Department said it was "disturbed" by Ulyanov's comments.
"A move like this by any state party needlessly endangers the global norm against nuclear explosive testing," a spokesman said.
Russia should reach an "equal footing" with the United States "by not wielding arms control and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric in a failing attempt to coerce other states," the spokesman added.
Since the beginning of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, various pro-Kremlin politicians and public figures, including government officials, have spoken about the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons or at least resuming nuclear testing.
Asked if rescinding the CTBT could pave the way for a resumption of tests, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “it doesn't mean a statement about the intention to resume nuclear tests.”
He noted that a possible move to revoke Russia's ratification of the ban would "bring the situation to a common denominator” with the United States.
Volodin repeated Moscow’s claim that Western military support for Ukraine means the United States and its allies are engaged in the conflict, adding that this requires "new decisions" that conform with Russia's national interests.
Speaking on October 5 at a forum with foreign affairs experts, Russian President Vladimir Putin said it would be up to the Duma whether Russia revokes the ratification.
In the wake of these statements, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged “all nuclear weapon states to publicly reaffirm their moratoriums against nuclear testing and their commitment to the CTBT,” UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.