MADRID, February 2. /TASS/. The US has offered to immediately launch discussions on follow-on measures to New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), according to the US response to Moscow’s proposals on security guarantees published by El Pais on Wednesday.
As El Pais stated, the sides need to consider the issues relating to "non-strategic arms and undeployed nuclear warheads." The US also suggested beginning "discussions immediately on follow-on measures to New START."
On December 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry published Russia’s two draft agreements on security guarantees, which Moscow expects from Washington and NATO. The agreements with the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization stipulate, among other things, the US-led bloc abandoning its designs on eastward expansion along with denying membership to Ukraine, in addition to restrictions on deploying serious offensive armaments, in particular, nuclear weapons. The sides have already held several rounds of consultations in various formats but have not announced any agreements reached yet.
On January 26, the United States and NATO handed over their written reply to Moscow’s proposals on security guarantees. The US side requested that the texts of these documents should not be published.