United Nations — The head of the organization that oversees the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty warned Wednesday that if the United States, Russia or any other country proceeds with a nuclear test, other countries will follow.
“This is a spiral that we do not want to see start, because it may never be possible to stop,” Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, told UN reporters.
Late last year, both United States and RussiaIt, which has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, threatened to resume nuclear testing, which set off global alarm bells.
When the treaty known as the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was opened for signature 30 years ago, Floyd said more than 2,000 nuclear tests had been conducted, but since then there had been fewer than a dozen, including six conducted by North Korea.
Floyd issued his warning at the United Nations this week I started reviewing it For a separate treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. The review is taking place against the backdrop of the war with Iran, which President Donald Trump has said is necessary to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was adopted in 1996, but has not entered into force because it must be ratified by 44 specific countries, nine of which have not yet done so.
The United States, China, Iran, Egypt, and Israel signed the treaty but did not ratify it. India, Pakistan and North Korea have not signed or ratified it. Russia signed and ratified, however Its ratification was revoked In 2023.
Floyd said a way must be found for China, Russia and the United States to ratify the treaty together, which he said “would certainly be a strong step forward.”
China and Russia have said they are committed to stopping nuclear testing, but since 2019, the US State Department has publicly expressed concerns about the activities of both countries. At the end of last year, Trump accused Russia and China conducted tests, and he said he had instructed the Ministry of Defense to begin testing nuclear weapons “on an equal footing.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in response that Russia would not resume nuclear testing unless Washington did so first.
Floyd said he was in Moscow recently and explained to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that “it is not in any country’s interest to see an unrestricted return to testing.” He said he met with US State Department officials and would welcome the opportunity to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Floyd said the treaty’s international monitoring system could detect even a relatively small nuclear weapons explosion anywhere in the world. He said any country considering developing a nuclear weapon would need to test one and “if they do it will be known to everyone.”