Have US signalled green light to Russia regarding nuclear weapon testing?

The United States conducted a high-explosive subsurface chemical explosion at a nuclear test site in Nevada on October 18, aiming to enhance its ability to detect low-yield nuclear explosions worldwide which raises fears among experts of being recognized as Russia as an invitation to follow lead.

This test, conducted in a tunnel at the Nevada National Security Site, utilized chemicals, high-explosives, and radiotracers to validate new predictive explosion models, Newsweek reported. The US Department of Energy stated that these experiments support US nuclear nonproliferation goals by improving its ability to "detect low-yield nuclear explosions around the world", according to the Department of Energy.

This move came only hours after Russia's State Duma voted to withdraw ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty on October 17, an agreement that prohibits nuclear test explosions. It was adopted in 1996 by the United Nations General Assembly though ratified by Russia but not the United States and China.

Experts suggest that this withdrawal indicates Russia's readiness to resume nuclear testing, even though Moscow has stated that it will only do so if the US resumes nuclear weapons testing first. Russian officials have cited concerns about the US's "irresponsible attitude" toward global security as a reason for their withdrawal from the treaty.

There have been recent discussions in Russia about conducting nuclear weapons tests, potentially in the Arctic Ocean archipelago of Novaya Zemlya. Mikhail Kovalchuk, an ally of the Russian president suggested that Moscow test its nuclear weapons at the nuclear test site "at least once" to scare the West. Fears of this suggestion holding weight manifested themselves when Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited the nuclear testing site in August.