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NATO will hold a major nuclear exercise next week as Russia plans to pull out of a test ban treaty

On Tuesday, a top Russian diplomat said that Moscow would pull out of the treaty to put itself on par with the United States but would only resume nuclear tests if Washington does it first.

BY LORNE COOK, October 13, 2023

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO will hold a major nuclear exercise next week, the alliance’s chief said Thursday, an announcement that came after Russia warned it would pull out of a global nuclear test ban agreement.

NATO’s “Steadfast Noon” exercise is held annually and runs for about a week. It involves fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads but does not involve any live bombs. Conventional jets and surveillance and refueling aircraft also routinely take part…………………………………….

The exercise is scheduled to run from Monday until Oct. 26. It will involve 13 NATO allies and a mix of aircraft types, including advanced fighter jets and U.S. B-52 bombers that will fly in from the United States. The bulk of the training is held at least 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Russia’s borders…………

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, adopted in 1996 and known as the CTBT, bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world, although it has never fully entered into force. It was signed by both the Russian and U.S. presidents but was never ratified by the United States.

On Tuesday, a top Russian diplomat said that Moscow would pull out of the treaty to put itself on par with the United States but would only resume nuclear tests if Washington does it first…………………………………………

NATO does not possess atomic weapons; as an organization, it owns no weapons of any kind, only its individual members do. Three allied nations — the United States, the United Kingdom and France — are nuclear powers.  https://apnews.com/article/nato-russia-nuclear-treaty-ban-test-a6dc00cf5b634b6c71d24e8da265d6c6 #nuclear #antinuclear #NuclearFree #NoNukes #NuclearPlants

October 14, 2023 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized