[News Terms] "The US Has Not Ratified Either"... What Is the CTBT Withdrawn by the Russian State Duma?

CTBT stands for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, an international multilateral treaty that prohibits any form of nuclear testing in all environments including the atmosphere, outer space, underwater, and underground. The CTBT aims to close the loopholes left by previous treaties such as the Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT), which allowed exceptions for underground nuclear tests. The ultimate goal is to prevent nuclear proliferation by stopping the development of new nuclear weapons as well as the improvement of existing nuclear weapons' performance.

On the 17th, Leonid Slutsky, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), is giving a speech at the State Duma (lower house) plenary session during the vote to withdraw ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) held in Moscow, Russia. The Russian State Duma adopted the bill to withdraw CTBT ratification in both the second and third readings. Both times, it passed unanimously with 415 votes in favor and none against. [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

This treaty was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 1996 and has been signed by 184 countries to date. South Korea ratified it on September 24, 1999, becoming the 22nd among 44 countries to do so.

However, the CTBT has not yet entered into force. It requires ratification by 44 countries that have declared possession of nuclear reactors and other facilities to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), but key countries such as the United States and China have not yet ratified it.

The United States signed the treaty in 1996 during the Bill Clinton administration, but the ratification was rejected by the Senate. At that time, the Clinton administration and Democratic leadership attempted political compromises over three years with the Republican majority in the Senate, but the ratification failed due to Republican opposition concerned about damage to nuclear deterrence capabilities. Later, President Barack Obama included CTBT ratification as a campaign promise, but it also faded away.

The delay in U.S. ratification has created an atmosphere where other countries, including China, have not proceeded with ratification. China also signed the CTBT in 1996 but has not yet taken steps to ratify it, stating that the U.S. must ratify first.

Russia, which ratified the CTBT in 2000, is now seeking to withdraw, citing the United States as the official cause. Russian President Vladimir Putin, during the Valdai Discussion on the 5th, stated that since the U.S. signed but did not ratify the treaty in 1996, Russia could also withdraw its ratification of the CTBT and urged the State Duma to decide on this matter. Subsequently, on the 18th (local time), the Russian State Duma unanimously adopted the bill to withdraw ratification of the CTBT in both the second and third readings. If the bill passes the Federation Council, it will be enacted after President Putin’s signature.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.