Russia, led by President Putin, has passed a law to revoke a treaty that prohibited nuclear testing. Interestingly, this move is similar to the stance taken by the US. The treaty, which was ratified by 178 countries, outlawed all nuclear explosions, including live nuclear tests, although it was never implemented.
Russia has accused the US of nuclear test site activity and stated that it would not resume testing unless the US does. Even though the treaty has been de-ratified, Russia has claimed that it will continue to maintain its nuclear posture and share information about its nuclear activities with the international community, without any changes.
Experts have voiced concerns about the possibility of Russia conducting a nuclear test as a means of intimidation, particularly during the ongoing Ukraine conflict. If this were to happen, it would potentially usher in a new era of big-power nuclear testing. However, at this time, Russia’s intentions regarding live nuclear tests remain unclear.