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Russia ready to extend New START, but has many questions for US — Putin

In 2021, the New START treaty is to expire

NEW YORK, July 17. /TASS/. Russia is ready to extend the bilateral Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), but has questions about its implementation by the United States, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a Fox News interview on Monday.

"In 2021, the New START treaty is about to expire," the Russian leader said. "I reassured [US] President [Donald] Trump that Russia stands ready to extend this treaty, to prolong it, but we have to agree on the specifics at first."

"We have some questions to our American partners," he added. "We think that they are not fully compliant to this treaty, but this is for experts to decide."

The Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (the New START Treaty) entered into force on February 5, 2011. 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 (ICBM), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) 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.

On February 5, 2018 both parties announced they had fulfilled START-3 commitments.

According to official reports from both sides, as of February 5, the United States has 652 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, deployed submarine-launched ballistic missiles and deployed heavy bombers and 1,350 warheads. Russia has 527 nuclear weapons delivery systems and 1,444 warheads.

The New START Treaty will remain in force for 10 years, until 2021, unless it is replaced before that date by a subsequent agreement on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms. It can also be extended for no longer than 5 years (that is, until 2026) by the parties’ mutual consent.

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