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Russia's parliament moved quickly to comply with President Vladimir Putin's request by passing bills to withdraw from the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, amid tensions with the West
The lower house of the parliament, known as the State Duma, unanimously approved with 415 votes the bills revoking Russia's ratification of the Treaty.
On October 5, President Putin called on the Russian Duma to withdraw since the United States never ratified the 1996 international treaty.
"We understand the responsibility towards our citizens, we are defending our country. What is happening in the world today is only the responsibility of the United States," said parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.
Since attacking Ukraine last year, President Putin has repeatedly reminded the West of Russia's nuclear might. On Wednesday, state television showed rare footage of him on a visit to Beijing accompanied by navy officers carrying a so-called "nuclear suitcase" that could be used to launch a nuclear attack.
Russia says it will not resume nuclear tests unless Washington does either, but arms control experts worry it is treading carefully toward a test the West would perceive as an escalation in the use of force nuclear weapons from Russia amid the war in Ukraine.
According to them, if Russia conducts tests, Washington would be encouraged to do the same, and vice versa.
China, India and Pakistan could do the same. Currently, all are respecting moratoriums on nuclear tests, and only North Korea has conducted a test involving a nuclear explosion.
Russia ratified the international treaty in 2000. The bill for Moscow's withdrawal must be approved by the Upper House of the Russian parliament and signed by President Putin.
President Putin said earlier this month that he was aware of calls for Russia to resume nuclear tests, but was not ready to say whether Moscow should do so.
In February, he said Russia should "get everything ready" to conduct a test in case Washington did. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Russia's test site in the far northern archipelago of Novaya Zemlya in August.
Last month, CNN released satellite images showing that over the past few years, Russia, the United States and China have built new facilities at their nuclear test sites.
Post-Soviet Russia has never conducted a nuclear test. The Soviet Union last tested in 1990 and the United States in 1992. /VOA
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