"Lavrov" Russia ready to discuss extension of New START Treaty with United States

Russia is ready for a dialogue with the United States on practical measures required to extend the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (the new START Treaty), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

"We have expressed more than once, including through the statements by President Vladimir Putin, our readiness, as is stipulated by the Treaty itself, to extend its effect after 2021, when the first ten years of its operation expire," the Russian foreign minister said at a press conference after talks with his Madagascar’s counterpart Eloi Dovo.

‘We will be ready for a talk with the United States on what has to be done for that," Lavrov said.

"We formulated our approaches both for the INF Treaty and the New START Treaty quite long ago and specifically," Lavrov said.

"We would want the United States to provide its answers to us. In turn, we are already responding to the questions, which the US has addressed to us, and for this purpose it is necessary to involve the mechanisms existing in accordance with these documents," Lavrov said.

As Russia’s top diplomat noted, Moscow expects Washington to grow aware of its responsibility within the framework of the INF Treaty and the New START Treaty.

"We bear responsibility for global stability. We expect that the United States won’t give up its share of responsibility either," Lavrov said.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump said that Washington would withdraw from the INF Treaty because Russia, in his opinion, was violating the terms of the agreement. At the same time, he did not rule out signing a new agreement on intermediate-range nuclear forces with Moscow and Beijing if Russia and China provide guarantees of halting the development of such weapons.

The Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing a high-placed official from the US administration that the United States was also considering the option of revising the New START Treaty.
New START Treaty

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.

The new START Treaty obliges the parties to exchange information on the number of warheads and carriers twice a year.

The new START Treaty will remain in force during 10 years until 2021, unless superseded by a subsequent agreement. It may be extended for a period of no more than five years (i.e. until 2026) upon the parties’ mutual consent.