MOSCOW, October 10. /TASS/. The Russian Foreign Ministry is drafting a bill for the withdrawal of Moscow’s ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters.
"A bill needs to be submitted that will abrogate Article 1 of the related federal law enacted in 2000. Article 1 concerns the document’s ratification," Ryabkov pointed out. "However, we believe that it would make sense to leave all other articles of the law in effect as they address the activities necessary to keep our nuclear arsenal at the appropriate level and in the appropriate combat readiness," he added.
"It is the Russian president that usually submits such bills upon recommendations from the Foreign Ministry," the senior diplomat noted. "The State Duma Council drew up a legislative calendar for the lower house [of parliament] yesterday and we will try to work within the framework of that schedule," Ryabkov said.
"The president said that it would be enough to withdraw the ratification," the senior diplomat emphasized. "We expect that this signal will reach Washington. Sometimes it’s hard for signals to make it through but we hope that it won’t be the case this time and that Washington will eventually rouse itself to do something to resolve the longstanding US ratification issue. It won’t be possible to put the treaty into effect unless this is done," he said.
"It’s clear to everyone that the eight countries that haven’t ratified the treaty yet are, in fact, making it impossible for the document to take effect," the senior Russian diplomat explained. "There is a need for a breakthrough. It’s been 23 years; nearly a quarter century is quite enough time for something to happen here," Ryabkov concluded.
CTBT situation
On Monday, the State Duma Council ordered the Duma Committee on International Affairs and the Foreign Ministry to assess the possibility of withdrawing CTBT ratification by October 18.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club that, since the US had failed to ratify the CTBT, Moscow could withdraw its ratification.