Russian diplomat says nuclear tests will resume only if US conducts one first

Russia will revoke its ratification of an international nuclear testing ban, but it would only start tests if the U.S. did first, a senior Russian official told state media on Tuesday.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia will “mirror” the U.S. position on the treaty by rescinding its ratification, The Associated Press reported. The U.S. signed the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, but it was never ratified in Congress.

Rybakov’s announcement comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened that Russia would pull out of the treaty last week. The country recently tested a new nuclear-powered missile system, Putin said.

On Friday, the Russian lower house speaker said the move was in retaliation for U.S. support of Ukraine.

“Washington and Brussels have unleashed a war against our country,” Vyacheslav Volodin said. “Today’s challenges require new decisions.”

“It conforms with our national interests,” he continued. “And it will come as a quid pro quo response to the United States, which has still failed to ratify the treaty.”

Defense analysts have theorized the timing of the test ban change could put pressure on the U.S. and Western allies to stop backing Ukraine.

Ryabkov said the change in policy is in response to a lack of action from the U.S. on the treaty.

“We believe that the 23 years that we have been waiting for something to change in Washington in terms of ratification are quite a sufficient time for this step to be made,” he said. “Regrettably, no indications that the U.S. is going to follow this path are visible, and so we have no choice but to balance our position.”

He pointed to Putin’s earlier order to make the country’s nuclear testing range ready for resuming tests, emphasizing that “the resumption of tests is possible if the U.S. conducts a test.”

The Associated Press contributed.