MOSCOW (Dispatches) – If the United States starts taking measures to resume nuclear tests, Russia will immediately respond in kind, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said. 
“If processes begin, which will mean that the U.S. is looking in the direction of resuming nuclear tests, we will take action. Russia will immediately respond in kind,” he said on RT television, TASS reported.
Ryabkov said Russia withdrew the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in November 2023 because it “ran out of patience.”
“We had waited 23 years. That was the end of the story. What will happen next is an open question. The answer fully depends on what policy the U.S. and its allies will pursue,” he said.
The diplomat said the withdrawal of the ratification is not the same as the withdrawal from the treaty.
“We continue to act in accordance with its spirit and letter,” he said.
Russia on several occasion has warned it be forced to resume its nuclear testing program if the United States conducts an atomic test.
Moscow says it has seen signs the United States is making preparations to resume nuclear testing.
Last week, the Kremlin said that amendments to Russia’s nuclear doctrine had been prepared and were about to be formalized, meaning the relevant documents setting out the circumstances in which nuclear arms can be used by Moscow will be updated.
President Vladimir Putin warned the West that under proposed changes to the doctrine Russia could use nuclear arms if it was struck with conventional missiles and would consider any assault on it supported by a nuclear power to be a joint attack.
Russia will also consider using nuclear weapons upon receiving reliable information about the massive launch of aerospace attack weapons, including strategic or tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, and hypersonic and other aircraft across Russia’s border, Putin said.
The changes were widely seen as an attempt by Putin to draw a “red line” for the United States and its allies by signaling that Moscow will consider responding with nuclear weapons if they allow Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia with long-range Western missiles.