On Wednesday, October 18, the lower house of Russia's Duma overwhelmingly approved a bill that would withdraw Russia's ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban treaty. Even though it was the driving force behind the creation of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban treaty in the first place, the US has itself never formally ratified it. Elsewhere, China, desperate to put itself on par with the traditional nuclear superpowers, is currently undergoing a rapid expansion of its nuclear capabilities. We call upon our government to take a strong stand against nuclear proliferation and seek the support of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) as well. We must demand that all nuclear-armed nations, friend or foe, immediately return to formal adherence to the test ban treaty, stop producing new weapons, and work together to eliminate nuclear weapons once and for all.

Source: Manila Times October 24, 2023 22:10 UTC