MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/. Russia expects to use the five-year term by which New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) will be extended to launch in-depth talks with the US on the future of arms control, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters on Wednesday.
"Basically, the treaty will be extended by five years without preconditions. We expect to use this time for launching in-depth talks with the US on the future of arms control with the goal of developing a new security equation, which would cover all factors that affect the maintenance of international security and strategic stability," Ryabkov said.
"We expect that despite challenges and the overall unfavorable background of our relations with Washington, we will be able to move forward in this field," the senior diplomat noted.
Ryabkov added that New START had proven to be effective in the past years. "It’s important that we managed to preserve one of the elements of international architecture in this field, I’m speaking about this with confidence, although our domestic procedure is yet to be completed. This reflects Russia’s responsible line in the issue of arms control," the high-ranking diplomat said.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted to the State Duma (lower house) a bill on ratifying the agreement on extending New START for five years - until February 5, 2026. Putin and US President Joe Biden held a phone conversation, expressing satisfaction over exchanging notes between the two countries on extending the document.
Russia and the United States signed New START in 2010. The document stipulates that seven years after its entry into effect each party should have no more than a total of 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and strategic bombers, as well as no more than 1,550 warheads on deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs and strategic bombers, and a total of 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers, SLBM launchers and strategic bombers.