Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Treaty withdrawal has made a significant move that is seen as tightening the screws on the West. He is reminding the world of Russia’s nuclear power. On a day that saw Russia simulate a Triple Nuclear Strike from land, air, and sea, they called it a Rehearsal. This is how Russia would respond if it came under a nuclear attack. This drill was personally overseen by Putin and came just hours after a political strike.
The Political Strike
Russia’s Upper House of Parliament had a vote. They chose to partially pull Russia out of a global nuclear test ban, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) meaning Russia can return to nuclear testing. Put together, these moves are dangerous.
The Nuclear Strike Drill
An intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from a spaceport in Northwest Russia. Further south, almost at the horizon, a submarine launched a missile simultaneously. It was a Sineva ballistic missile fired from a Tula strategic submarine. That wasn’t all; Tu-95 MS long-range strategic bombers were also seen taking off. They reportedly test-fired air-launched cruise missiles.
What do these things have in common? They’re all Russian strategic assets capable of firing nuclear missiles. Russia has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, and you just witnessed what Moscow called a Three-Pronged Retaliatory Nuclear Strike Drill. The footage was made public by Russia’s Defense Ministry, and the drill itself was overseen by Putin.
The Training
According to Valer Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff, Russian Armed Forces, “The training involves the mobile group missile system of the Strategic missile forces Yars strategic missile submarines of the northern Fleet Tula two strategic long-range missile carriers Tu95 MS.”
There was a meeting between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valer Gerasimov, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Visuals from the meeting and of the test were widely shared. So this wasn’t some secret drill meant to test anything new; the message is clear: Russia means business.
The Treaty
The Nuclear Strike simulation took place hours after a parliamentary session where Russian lawmakers voted to partially back out of the UN’s Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. As the name suggests, the treaty bans all nuclear tests. It was adopted back in 1996; almost all nuclear powers in the world have signed it, except India, Pakistan & North Korea. But everyone else has, and Russia had signed the treaty when it came out on the same day as the US did.
So is the treaty legally binding on all signatories? Not really. Leaders signing a treaty doesn’t mean much if their governments don’t agree to adhere to it. Countries need to both sign and ratify a treaty for it to come into effect.
The Russian Parliament had ratified the treaty back in 2000, but the US still hasn’t—meaning technically; the US can still legally conduct all the nuclear tests that it wants to. And after 23 years, it seems Russia has got tired of waiting.
The Rescindment
Valentina Matvienko, Speaker of the Russian Upper Chamber Parliament said, “If the United States continues to take no steps to fulfill its obligations then this agreement will remain a sham and there is, of course, no point in Russia participating in this imitation any further we must eliminate inequality in this case within the framework of a separate document rebalance the system remove distortions and restore Justice I think that if the west and the United States are seriously interested in international stability they will hear this signal and take necessary actions.”
And that’s why Russia rescinded its ratification. Moscow says it was needed to put them at par with the US. Putin wants Washington to walk the talk.
Conclusion
This development raises questions about what this means for ongoing conflicts such as war in Ukraine and how it will impact global stability.
