WASHINGTON, December 16. /TASS/. Moscow’s proposal to extend the New START treaty for five years without preconditions remains in effect, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said at a video conference, organized by the Georgetown University in Washington DC.

"In December 2019, Russia offered the US to extend the agreement for five years without preconditions," the diplomat reminded. "This proposal is still in effect."

"However, our partners in Washington turned out not to be ready for unconditional extension of the New START in exchange for that extension being short-term, just one year," Antonov said.

Moscow repeatedly called on Washington not to delay the decision on the treaty’s extension, calling the treaty a golden standard in disarmament. On October 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to extend the New START for at least one year without preconditions.

The Trump administration previously proposed to increase the number of signatories, inviting China, but Beijing rejected this idea. The US President-Elect Joe Biden spoke in favor of prolongation of the current treaty.