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White House: Russia, US can extend New START by a year if verification measures settled

US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said the sides should "agree to cap their weapons production during that year "

WASHINGTON, October 28. /TASS/. Russia and the United States will extend the Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START treaty) if they can settle the issues linked to verification procedures, US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said Wednesday.

"We’ve made an offer to the Russians and I think there’s been progress on this front. I went to Geneva and met with my counterpart General Patrushev. I had a very business-like meeting with him," he said, commenting on the talks concerning the future of New START.

"We suggested that we renew or extend New START for a year and, at the same time, that both parties, Russia and the United States, agree to cap their weapons production during that year and see if that gives us time to negotiate a new really terrific long-term arms control deal with the Russians. So, I think we are getting close. I think we are going to need to work on verification procedure for that year-time frame. If we can get through the verification issues, I think we are going to be able to get to a deal. We’ll just have to see how serious Russians are about arms control," O’Brien pointed out.