Thirty Years of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: What’s Next? Expert Discussion

On 10 September, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion titled “Thirty Years of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: What’s Next?” 10 September marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) by the UN General Assembly. The treaty has been signed by 187 countries and ratified by 178. However, given the Trump administration’s conflicting statements regarding the possible resumption of nuclear testing and the erosion of the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (START) framework, the CTBT’s future is increasingly uncertain. In 2023, Russia withdrew its ratification of the CTBT to match the United States, which had never ratified the agreement. China, Egypt, Iran, and Israel have also failed to ratify the treaty, while India, North Korea, and Pakistan have not even signed it. Thus, the CTBT has not officially entered into force. Nevertheless, it continues to play an important role in arms control, environmental protection, and enhancing predictability in the nuclear sphere. Will these achievements be preserved in the near and long term? What will the nuclear powers’ position on the CTBT be? Should we expect a resumption of nuclear testing? Speakers: Daryl Kimball, Executive Director, Arms Control Association (USA) Elena Chernenko, Special Correspondent for the Kommersant newspaper, PhD in History, Member of the PIR Center Board, Member of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy (SVOP), Co-chair of the Moscow Non-Proliferation Conference Grigory Berdennikov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (ret.), Head of the Russian delegation at the negotiations of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) (1993-1998) Dauren Aben, Deputy Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Moderator: Ivan Timofeev, Programme Director, Valdai Discussion Club