Russian Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that U.S. preparations, including a 2025
directive from President Trump, threaten the global moratorium on explosive
nuclear testing that Russia has observed since 1990.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, opened for signature on September 24, 1996, has 188 signatories and 179 ratifications, enforcing a near-universal norm with no confirmed tests in over eight years.
While Russia supports the treaty's goals and monitoring, it withdrew ratification in 2023 to align with the U.S. position but vows retaliatory measures if tests occur, highlighting tensions between the nuclear powers.