No plans for Putin to contact US before decision on CTBT withdrawal: Kremlin

Russia has no need to be in contact with the US before making a definitive decision on withdrawing from the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

When asked by TASS whether contacts with the Americans are planned before Russian President Vladimir Putin makes a final decision on signing the bill on Russia’s revocation of CTBT ratification into law, Peskov said: “They [contacts with the Americans] are not necessary.”

The CTBT de-ratification bill was given final approval by the Federation Council (upper house of parliament) on October 25 and then sent to the president for his signature. Under the Russian constitution, the president has 14 days to decide whether or not to sign a bill into law.

The treaty was signed on behalf of Russia in New York on September 24, 1996, and ratified by Russia on May 27, 2000. This multilateral document was intended to be the main international legal instrument for stopping all types of nuclear testing. To date, however, the treaty has not taken effect because it has not been ratified by eight of the 44 states that have nuclear weapons or the potential to build them.

Russian lawmakers said that the failure of the US, China, Egypt, Israel, Iran, India, North Korea and Pakistan to complete the domestic procedures necessary for the treaty to take effect demonstrates these countries’ unwillingness to assume the full scope of relevant obligations, thus forcing Russia to take retaliatory measures to balance the situation.

Putin himself said for the first time in early October that Russia might revoke its CTBT ratification. He explained that Moscow could follow the example of Washington, which has signed but not ratified the treaty. (BSS/TASS)