Russia President Vladimir Putin of Russia on Thursday announced the revocation of his country's ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), a move purportedly aimed at aligning Moscow's position with that of the United States.

The decision to abandon this pivotal agreement, which prohibits all forms of nuclear explosions for both military and peaceful purposes, was formalized through the signing of a new law. The upper house Federation Council unanimously approved the action a week ago, swiftly followed by the lower house State Duma passing the bill in an accelerated vote. The legislation came into effect on Thursday upon Putin's signature.

The CTBT, an internationally supported treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on September 10, 1996, and opened for signature on September 24, 1996, has garnered support from 187 states, with 170 having ratified it.

Nevertheless, the treaty has not been enforced due to the lack of ratification by all eight nuclear-weapon states (China, France, India, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States).

Central to the CTBT is a verification regime comprising a global network of 337 monitoring stations employing various technologies such as seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasound, and radionuclide detection. Data collected from these stations is transmitted to the CTBTO's International Data Centre in Vienna, Austria, where experts analyze it to determine the occurrence of a nuclear explosion.

Putin's recent move adds a significant complication to the prospects of the CTBT's enforcement, raising concerns about the future of global efforts to curb nuclear proliferation and ensure international security. (ILKHA)