MOSCOW, October 20. /TASS/. Moscow's withdrawal of ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) de jure puts Russia and the United States on equal footing, and the Kremlin is closely monitoring how the situation develops, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"Our position is very clear. Now the de jure situation is equalized. Now both the US and Russia are signatories to the treaty, but it has not been ratified by either country. So we are monitoring [the situation] very closely," the Kremlin spokesman said when asked to comment on the tests in Nevada that took place on the same day the Russian State Duma passed the CTBT de-ratification law.
At the same time, Peskov pointed out that the events in the US had nothing to do with nuclear weapons. "They did not conduct any nuclear tests," the spokesman noted.
On October 18, the US Department of Energy said that it conducted an underground test in Nevada, meant to "help reduce global nuclear threats by improving the detection of underground nuclear explosive tests."
On October 18, the Russian State Duma passed a law withdrawing Russia's ratification of the CTBT. The document must now be considered by the Federation Council (its next session is October 25) and, if approved by the upper house of the Russian parliament, will go to the president for signing.