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There is a known treaty about full banning nuclear tests, from 1996. Many states have signed it, but not all ratified. I can understand, why, for example, DPRK haven't signed it - it is critical for their national security.
We all know, that US foreign politics is oriented towards peace, and I remember some claims about fully banning nuclear weapons (from Obama times).
But why has the US not ratified it, if so? Were there some public claims about origin of this non-ratification?
The US has a well-known record for talking peace and love, but refusing to commit to anything which would place restrictions on its actions. For example, there is a treaty on maritime conventions that the US has not signed. The US is unwilling to submit to judgments by the ICC. There are various climate change agreements the US has bailed on.
So why this treaty? Well, the US is one of the few countries with a huge nuclear arsenal. And the US wants to be able to do whatever it wants with those nukes.
Acording to this Wikipedia article
The United States has stated that its ratification of the CTBT is conditional upon:
A: The conduct of a Science Based Stockpile Stewardship Program to ensure a high level of confidence in the safety and reliability of nuclear weapons in the active stockpile, including the conduct of a broad range of effective and continuing experimental programs.
B: The maintenance of modern nuclear laboratory facilities and programs in theoretical and exploratory nuclear technology which will attract, retain, and ensure the continued application of our human scientific resources to those programs on which continued progress in nuclear technology depends.
C: The maintenance of the basic capability to resume nuclear test activities prohibited by the CTBT should the United States cease to be bound to adhere to this treaty.
D: Continuation of a comprehensive research and development program to improve our treaty monitoring capabilities and operations.
E: The continuing development of a broad range of intelligence gathering and analytical capabilities and operations to ensure accurate and comprehensive information on worldwide nuclear arsenals, nuclear weapons development programs, and related nuclear programs.
F: The understanding that if the President of the United States is informed by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Energy (DOE) – advised by the Nuclear Weapons Council, the Directors of DOE's nuclear weapons laboratories and the Commander of the U.S. Strategic Command – that a high level of confidence in the safety or reliability of a nuclear weapon type which the two Secretaries consider to be critical to the U.S. nuclear deterrent could no longer be certified, the President, in consultation with Congress, would be prepared to withdraw from the CTBT under the standard "supreme national interests" clause in order to conduct whatever testing might be required.
