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In April 2024, “Russia cast the only vote against the draft resolution that reaffirmed provisions in the Outer Space Treaty prohibiting the placement of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in space.” The vetoed resolution had been approved by the U.N.’s Fourth Committee. (The Fourth Committee is one of the main six committees of the U.N. General Assembly. It is tasked with, among other things, issues dealing with space.) This veto was particularly significant because the proposed resolution was the arms control equivalent of motherhood and apple pie. Thus, something incredibly significant must have driven such a decision. ....
French President Emmanuel Macron characterized statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telephone conversation with him as “ridiculous” and “indeed baroque and threatening, which is nothing new.” Putin suggested that the French secret services had been involved in the ISIS terrorist attack in Moscow. This was an apparently a coordinated effort because Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu reportedly said the same thing to French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu. Moreover, the Russian suggestion of French involvement was made after President Putin had finally admitted that the Crocus City Hall concert terrorist attack had been made by “radical Islamists.” ....
More nuclear weapons do not necessarily mean greater security, and a trade-off between next-generation conventional and nuclear weapons is almost inevitable unless defense budgets are completely open-ended. ....
The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty is a multilateral arms control Treaty negotiated in the mid-1990s which sought to ban all nuclear weapons tests. In October 2023, President Vladmir Putin directed the revocation of Russian ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which Russia’s rubber-stamp Duma promptly did. As early as March 2023, Putin hinted Russia might resume nuclear testing. Much of the media commentary takes Russia’s hedged claim that it will not resume nuclear testing at face value. Putin has indicated that “…if the United States conducts a nuclear test, we will also carry it out.” This apparently will be the bogus political rationale for resumed Russian nuclear testing. In October 2023, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s envoy to the United Nations in Vienna, stated that, “Never say never. Tests may resume under certain circumstances.” (Emphasis in the original), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was more specific, saying resumed Russian n ....
While Russia has “suspended” its observance of the New START Treaty (clearly in violation of the Treaty), it nonetheless claims that it is continuing to observe its limitations. However, in its annual 2023 report on the New START Treaty, the U.S. Department of State was unable to certify Russian compliance with the numerical limitations of the Treaty. Enough time has passed since the last New START Treaty on-site inspection in March 2020 for Russia to have uploaded all or most of its strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. ....