NEW YORK: Russia believes that the United States is not abandoning the idea of conducting a full-fledged nuclear test as part of the modernisation of its nuclear arsenal, reported Sputnik, quoting Vladimir Ermakov, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s non-proliferation and arms control department.

Ermakov heads the Russian delegation to the First Committee of the UN General Assembly, which deals with disarmament issues.

“Washington continues to maintain its Nevada (nuclear) test site on high alert. We believe that the Americans are not giving up the idea of conducting a full-fledged nuclear test as part of the modernisation of their nuclear arsenal,“ Ermakov said in an interview with Russian journalists.

Without ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), the US unceremoniously dictates to its full participants how this treaty should be implemented and also demands that other states create certain conditions for Washington’s possible full accession to the CTBT, the diplomat said, adding that this cannot continue indefinitely.-Bernama