MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's planned withdrawal of its ratification of the global treaty banning nuclear tests does not mean that it intends to conduct such a test, a senior foreign ministry official told Russian media. Russia ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 2000 but the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, is due to vote on Tuesday on a bill to reverse that step. He said Russia's position was set out by Putin in February when he said that Russia would only conduct a test if the United States did so first. No country except North Korea has conducted a test involving a nuclear explosion this century. Putin said earlier this month he was not ready to say whether a nuclear test was needed or not.

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Persons: Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Yermakov, Yermakov, Putin, Mark Trevelyan, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Russian, State Duma, Duma, TASS, Reuters Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, United States, Washington, North Korea, Ukraine