Moscow has withdrawn from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) after President Vladimir Putin signed a bill into law. The CTBT prohibits nuclear explosions worldwide, but was never fully implemented. Russia signed the treaty in 1996, while countries including the US, India, Pakistan, and China have not ratified it. There were concerns that Moscow would resume nuclear testing to deter Western countries from supporting Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. Russian officials have hinted at the possibility of testing, but Putin has not publicly stated his position. Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized Russia’s withdrawal, calling it a step in the wrong direction. In October, Russia conducted a test of a long-range experimental nuclear-powered missile called the Burevestnik cruise missile.