According to a recent analysis featured in Reuters by Mark Trevelyan, there are concerns that Russia is “paving the way” to conducting nuclear capabilities testing, a move which could stir up global tensions and also give the proverbial greenlight to other countries to reignite their nuclear testing.
Earlier in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated a possible intent to have the country pull out of the previously ratified Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
Russian officials are entertaining the revocation of their previous ratification of the CTBT, justifying the potential act by pointing how the United States merely signed the aforementioned treaty but never ratified it.
Based upon Russia’s signaled intentions around nuclear testing, Trevelyan notes that the very treaty which banned “nuclear explosions by everyone, everywhere,” would become a thing of the past, thereby affording leeway for other countries to consider following suit.
Yet, in light of the Kremlin’s commentary around potentially pulling out of the CTBT being digested as foreshadowing of possible nuclear capabilities testing, Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has been trying to dispel such drawn conclusions, telling reporters, “This does not constitute a statement of intention to conduct nuclear tests.”
Despite the Kremlin spokesperson attempting to run interference on the narrative being extrapolated by reading between the lines, comments from Putin seem to lean more on the side of impending nuclear testing, with the Russian president saying on October 5th, “As a rule, experts say, with a new weapon - you need to make sure that the special warhead will work without failures.”
If this nuclear testing by Russia does indeed come to fruition, Trevelyan speculates it could ignite a renewed nuclear arms race between the superpowers of Russia, China, and even the United States – a collective nuclear testing endeavor that ceased back in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
However, with Ukraine and Russia’s ongoing war having inducted the United States and other countries as de facto proxy contributors in Ukraine’s favor, matters could potentially escalate to a resurgence of the Cold War-era of nuclear holocaust worries.
Matthew Harries, director of proliferation and nuclear policy at the RUSI think-tank in London, is also among those convinced that Russia’s implied willingness to cancel the ratification of the CTBT would inevitably segue into Russia resuming nuclear testing.
Harries noted that by pulling out of the CTBT, the scenario would craft a “legal and presentational framework for Russia to test if it wants to,” further foreshadowing his own prediction of a Cold War-like existence as the move “would be a strong form of signaling, to put the nuclear threat in people's minds, to try to signal resolve and to evoke fear.”
Earlier in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated a possible intent to have the country pull out of the previously ratified Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
Russian officials are entertaining the revocation of their previous ratification of the CTBT, justifying the potential act by pointing how the United States merely signed the aforementioned treaty but never ratified it.
Based upon Russia’s signaled intentions around nuclear testing, Trevelyan notes that the very treaty which banned “nuclear explosions by everyone, everywhere,” would become a thing of the past, thereby affording leeway for other countries to consider following suit.
Yet, in light of the Kremlin’s commentary around potentially pulling out of the CTBT being digested as foreshadowing of possible nuclear capabilities testing, Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has been trying to dispel such drawn conclusions, telling reporters, “This does not constitute a statement of intention to conduct nuclear tests.”
Despite the Kremlin spokesperson attempting to run interference on the narrative being extrapolated by reading between the lines, comments from Putin seem to lean more on the side of impending nuclear testing, with the Russian president saying on October 5th, “As a rule, experts say, with a new weapon - you need to make sure that the special warhead will work without failures.”
If this nuclear testing by Russia does indeed come to fruition, Trevelyan speculates it could ignite a renewed nuclear arms race between the superpowers of Russia, China, and even the United States – a collective nuclear testing endeavor that ceased back in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
However, with Ukraine and Russia’s ongoing war having inducted the United States and other countries as de facto proxy contributors in Ukraine’s favor, matters could potentially escalate to a resurgence of the Cold War-era of nuclear holocaust worries.
Matthew Harries, director of proliferation and nuclear policy at the RUSI think-tank in London, is also among those convinced that Russia’s implied willingness to cancel the ratification of the CTBT would inevitably segue into Russia resuming nuclear testing.
Harries noted that by pulling out of the CTBT, the scenario would craft a “legal and presentational framework for Russia to test if it wants to,” further foreshadowing his own prediction of a Cold War-like existence as the move “would be a strong form of signaling, to put the nuclear threat in people's minds, to try to signal resolve and to evoke fear.”
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments