THE lower house of Russia’s parliament today gave its final approval to a Bill revoking the ratification of a global nuclear test ban treaty.

The lawmakers in the Duma voted unanimously to revoke the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in the third and final reading on Wednesday. 

The Bill will now go to the upper house, the Federation Council, which will consider it next week. Federation Council lawmakers said earlier this week that they would support the Bill.

The legislation was introduced to parliament following a statement from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who warned earlier this month that Moscow could revoke its 2000 decision to ratify the treaty to “mirror” the stand taken by the United States, which has signed but not ratified the nuclear test ban.

The treaty, adopted in 1996, bans all nuclear detonations anywhere in the world, although it was never formally signed off by the US and other countries such as Israel and Iran. 

Mr Putin has said that while some experts have talked about the need to recommence the testing of nuclear weapons, he has not yet formed an opinion on the issue.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said last week that Moscow will continue to respect the ban and will only resume nuclear tests if Washington does so first.

Duma house speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, said: “We understand our responsibility to our citizens, we are protecting our country.”

He said: “What is happening in the world today is the exclusive fault of the United States.”

Earlier this week, during the Duma’s first debate on the issue, Mr Volodin slammed the US for what he described as their “boorish attitude to performing its obligations to ensure global security.”

He said: “They thought about themselves as hegemons, proponents of a unilateral world.

“Today’s decision will ring the bell for them.”